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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29434872">Lucky Old Sun</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/totheendoftheworldortime79/pseuds/totheendoftheworldortime79'>totheendoftheworldortime79</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Damerey Valentine (Star Wars), Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Sharing a Bed, Smut</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 16:36:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>48,359</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29434872</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/totheendoftheworldortime79/pseuds/totheendoftheworldortime79</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When their friends have to bail unexpectedly on a friends only Valentine's Day trip, Poe and Rey find themselves in the most awkward situation either of them can imagine. Will two weeks in paradise reveal the truth? And how long until sparks fly?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Poe Dameron/Rey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>77</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>88</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Damerey Discord Shenanigans</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/duchessofthemoonbase/gifts">duchessofthemoonbase</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Happy Valentine's Day, Duchess! This fic has been a blast to write. It's not quite finished, but I am posting everything that I have done. I'll keep updating it until it's finished. I hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rey fished her phone out of her bag while she scanned the incoming travelers for her friends. They were due at the gate for boarding in less than an hour! The caller ID announced her best friend, Finn. “Where the hell are you?” Rey demanded without so much as a hello. “We have to be at the gate!”</p><p>“Look, I’m really sorry about this, Rey…” Finn began.</p><p>He did sound apologetic, but Rey was floored. “Oh no! No, you don’t! You cannot bail on me! <em>Finn!</em>”</p><p>“It’s not my fault!” Finn objected. “We’re swamped! Boss cancelled everyone’s vacations, not just mine!”</p><p>Rey pinched the bridge of her nose, dread settling in her belly. “You’re telling me Rose is stuck too?” Rose was Rey’s friend from college; Finn had put in a good word with his boss to get her hired straight out of college. Rey worked at her family’s business; her aunt Leia practically had to force her to take vacation time. They’d been planning this trip for months, a friends’ trip to thumb their noses up at Valentine’s Day. </p><p>“Afraid so,” Finn said. “But hey, Poe’s still coming!”</p><p>That set off alarms in her head. No, no, no. She could <em>not</em> spend two weeks in a tropical paradise with Poe Dameron. Nope. Next question. So what if they had a non-refundable deposit on the reservation? “I’ll just cancel…”</p><p>“Rey, you <em>can’t</em>,” Finn argued. “That’s a <em>lot</em> of money!”</p><p>“You’re underestimating my negotiating skills, Finn.” She was already doing the calculations in her head. She put Finn on speaker and opened the browser on her phone. “Just let me find the number…”</p><p>“The number to what?” said a voice she’d know anywhere. Damn it.</p><p>“Poe!” Finn shouted to be heard over the din of the airport. “Do <em>not</em> let Rey cancel that reservation!”</p><p>Poe’s warm gaze flickered from the phone to Rey. “Cancel? Why are we cancelling?”</p><p>Rey sighed. “Finn and Rose have to bail. Work.”</p><p>Poe’s handsome face fell. “That sucks. But that doesn’t mean we should cancel.”</p><p>“Of course, it does! We can’t afford that room with just the two of us!” Poe, she noted sourly, was already dressed for the tropical heat, despite the fact that it was forty degrees out. He looked entirely too good in his collared Hawaiian shirt, tan board shorts and unruly curls.</p><p>“So, we change the size of the room,” Poe replied reasonably.</p><p>“See!” Finn cried. “Please, Rey. Someone should get to enjoy themselves while us peons work our lives away.”</p><p>Rey was about to object, but Poe already had his phone out. He tapped diligently for a few minutes, then grinned. “There, all fixed. With the deposit already paid and the smaller room…that knocked the price down by about half.”</p><p>“We’ll pay back your and Rose’s half, Finn,” Rey promised. She couldn’t believe she was allowing them to talk her into this. This just smelled of trouble. But damn it, it had been a long time since she’d taken a real vacation. And certainly never to somewhere as beautiful as Solarine.</p><p>“Have some drinks on us,” Finn joked. “Have fun you two!”</p><p>Rey groaned inwardly. She schooled her features, hoping Poe didn’t notice. It wasn’t that she disliked him. Not at all. Poe was a few years older than her, handsome, kind, funny. He had a bit of an arrogant streak, but he somehow made it endearing. He started out as a friend of her cousin, Ben. Well, as much as anyone could be friends with Ben. She’d met him a few years ago at a family party. Gradually, Poe drifted from Ben’s friend group to hers.</p><p>She liked Poe just fine. Unfortunately, she felt a whole bunch of <em>other</em> things for him which was very, very bad. It was easier when she didn’t see him every day. Now she would be spending two whole weeks in his company. Alone. </p><p>She was doomed.</p><p>Poe had TSA Pre-Check, so it took them less than fifteen minutes to get through security. Nearly all the chairs at their gate were full, so they had to stand around and wait for their flight to be called. Rey re-checked her little mini-backpack to make sure she had her headphones, Kindle, and snacks ready to go. She loved flying, but she wasn’t paying extra for food when she could just snack.</p><p>“Are you a window seat girl?” Poe asked.</p><p>“Sorry, what?”</p><p>“I asked if you liked the window seat.”</p><p>“Oh. Yeah.” Why was he asking her that?</p><p>“Looks like you’ve got enough in there to feed a small army.”</p><p>Rey flushed. “It’s better than what they’ll be serving.”</p><p>“You’re probably right.” Was it just her imagination or did he seem nervous all of a sudden? She opened her mouth to say…something when the gate attendant came over the intercom.</p><p>“We’ve got a full flight today, folks!” the woman said brightly. “If you’ll have your boarding passes out and ready to go when I call your group, we’ll get you on board quickly and efficiently.”</p><p>Rey frowned. “A full flight? How? Finn and Rose just cancelled!”</p><p>“Which opened those seats for someone else on standby,” Poe reminded her.</p><p>Right. How could she forget that? Because she was freaking out about Poe, that’s why. But she’d get some time to herself on the plane. Finn and Rose should have been in the seats between them, but now there would be strangers. Perhaps it was better that way. That comforted her as they walked down the gangway to the plane. Rey had one checked bag and her nearly empty carry on; Poe only had a small satchel. When he first bought it, Finn teased him mercilessly, calling it a man purse. But Rey thought it was rather ingenious.</p><p>“Here, let me,” Poe said, grabbing the handle of her small suitcase.</p><p>“No, I’ve got…” But the rest of her sentence was pointless as Poe lifted the bag into the overhead bin. She was <em>not</em> watching the way the muscles bulged under his shirt, thank you very much. “Thanks.” She slid into her seat while Poe sat in the aisle seat across the way. In less than six hours, she would be soaking up the sun on a beach. She just had to focus on that.</p><p>While boarding continued, she got out her headphones and her Kindle, then shoved some of her snacks into her coat pockets for easy access. Unlike Poe, she was dressed for the cold; sometimes she swore she was cold blooded. She got cold easily. Poe was right; a couple of single travelers dropped into the seats beside her. She ignored them, slipping in her headphones and focusing on her book.</p><p>Poe’s foot tapped impatiently as the plane filled up. He hoped to be wrong about someone taking Finn and Rose’s seats. He wanted an excuse to switch seats so he and Rey could sit together. He was sad that their friends had to work, but he wasn’t sad to be spending two solid weeks in Rey’s company. She’d become one of his best friends over the last couple of years; she was infinitely more fun than her cousin Ben.</p><p>As the attendants went through snapping the overhead bins shut, Poe leaned over. “Um, excuse me,” he said, putting on his best apologetic smile. “Would you mind switching with me? My friend and I got separated when they assigned our seats.”</p><p>The older woman who sat next to Rey actually blushed; Poe suppressed a grin. Worked every time. “Oh, that’s terrible,” she said. “Of course, we can switch. It’s no trouble.”</p><p>“Great, thanks.” Poe got up and graciously helped everyone get moved and situated. He settled into the middle seat, trying not to think about how it wasn’t really made for someone with his…assets. It was only a few hours; he could handle it.</p><p>Rey looked up, confused. “What the hell are you doing?” she hissed.</p><p>“Switching seats,” he replied. “What does it look like?”</p><p>“But why?”</p><p>“I can’t sit with my friend now?”</p><p>“I didn’t say that.” She sighed. “Nevermind.”</p><p>He adjusted his seat belt. “Whatcha reading?”</p><p>Rey pulled the Kindle against her chest. “It’s nothing.”</p><p>“Then why hide it?”</p><p>“You’ll just make fun of me.”</p><p>“Now why would I do that?”</p><p>Rey made a face. “Because you always do that! I’m not a little kid, Poe!”</p><p><em>No, you definitely are not</em>, he thought. He might have thought that at first, when she was just Ben’s younger cousin. She had been in college then. But she wasn’t now. She hadn’t been a kid then either, but he was kind of an idiot in those days. He thought he’d made it up to her in the years since; he barely even spoke to Ben anymore. Of course, Ben was a bit of an asshole; Poe outgrew that phase, thank god.</p><p>“I promise I won’t make fun,” he said solemnly.</p><p>She looked at him skeptically, ignoring the safety spiel. They’d both heard if often enough. She considered him for a long beat, then turned the Kindle toward him. It was a comic book. No superheroes though. It took him a moment to realize what it was. “Woah, is that <em>The Mystery Knight?”</em></p><p>Rey blinked, surprised. “You’ve read it?”</p><p>“Well, listened to the audiobook, but yeah. I forgot they did a version like this.”</p><p>Her face lit up. “Oh, I’ve been meaning to listen to that! The guy who played Viserys did it, right?”</p><p>Poe smiled. “He did. It was really good. I still need to read <em>Fire and Blood</em>.”</p><p>Rey was utterly shocked that they’d read the same thing. In all the years she’d known him, she didn’t realize he was a fan of that sort of thing. “Well…I have it downloaded from Audible. We could listen to it on the flight. If you wanted.” Was she really offering to share a book with him? Yes. Yes, she was.</p><p>“Sounds good.” </p><p>That was how Rey wound up splitting her headphones with Poe Dameron on a flight to the Caribbean. There were only three short stories, so they started from the beginning. Poe had already listened to it, so he spent most of his time watching Rey. She was far more interesting than anything else.</p><p>Rey was grateful that she’d read the short stories already, because it was hard to focus at first with Poe so close to her. But gradually, she forgot he was there as she got lost in the performance of the story. It was the perfect way to relax on the long flight.</p><hr/><p>They landed a little after noon local time. She and Poe talked about the short stories all the way to the baggage claim, getting into a debate about how they fit into the main series. She was shocked by how knowledgeable he was; why had she never known this about him?</p><p>“Poe, that theory doesn’t even…oh, hold on.” She dashed over to the carousel to get her huge suitcase.</p><p>“Is that your only bag?” Poe asked, surprised by how easily she handled the enormous bag.</p><p>“We’re only going to be here for two weeks!”</p><p>“Then I definitely overpacked.” He spotted the first of his two bags. This one wasn’t as big as Rey’s, but it was the biggest one he owned. A few minutes later the second came rolling by; he snagged it neatly. “Okay, I’m good.”</p><p>“What’s in there?” Rey asked as they headed for the resort shuttle. “Every hair product in North America?”</p><p>“Hey!” </p><p>“That’s not a denial, Dameron.”</p><p>He rolled his eyes. “And what’s in <em>your</em> bag? Wool sweaters and parkas? We’re in the tropics, Sunshine.”</p><p>Rey already shrugged out of her coat and stuffed it into the mostly empty carry on. She was changing the moment they got to their room. “I’m an efficient packer,” she replied coolly. In truth, she brought a lot of sundresses, a couple pairs of shorts, some tank tops, and bikinis. Something she regretted at the moment without the buffer of Finn and Rose.</p><p>The shuttle driver loaded their bags into the storage compartment; Rey and Poe headed for the back of the small shuttle. It loaded steadily over the next twenty minutes; Poe was the only one dressed for the heat. Fortunately, the thing was air conditioned. Rey used some of her precious roaming to let her dad and Finn know they landed safely, then she slid her phone back into airplane mode. The point of vacation was to unplug from the world, she decided, starting right then.</p><p>They booked one of those all-inclusive resorts; it helped keep things within budget. Rey had seen the promotional photos online while they were researching, but that didn’t really prepare her for the real thing. Her jaw dropped slightly as the shuttle approached. The perimeter gate was made of wrought iron; the road was paved with tightly packed brick. The main building was wide rather than tall, sprawling out near the water. The brochure said it used to be a whitewashed Catholic church from Solarine’s colonial days. The Temple of Corvus resort was the smallest of the three resorts on the island; they had initially chosen it because it highlighted the island’s native culture. The road into the resort was lined with tall palm trees; she swore she could almost taste the salt of the sea. Out in front of the old church was a gold and obsidian statue of the resort’s patron deity, Corvus, a fire god.</p><p>Yep, this was definitely her sort of place.</p><p>Poe once again helped her with her bags then led the way to the front desk. Rey drank in the interior, which was equally as stunning as the outside. The wall behind the front desk was an intricate mosaic filled with Catholic symbolism. But on either side of the space there were newer mosaics in the same style that portrayed Corvus and the volcano that created the island. There was a line ahead of them, but it was moving quickly. Within ten minutes they stood in front of a young man dressed smartly in a blazer, polo, and board shorts like Poe’s. He couldn’t quite look them in the eye; he seemed like the nervous type. “Checking in?”</p><p>“Yeah. Reservation’s under Dameron.”</p><p>The man tapped on his keyboard. “Ah yes, here it is.” He smiled at them, a twinkle in his eye. “We’ve got you in our honeymoon suite, Mr. Dameron.”</p><p>Rey blinked, convinced she’d misheard him. “Wait, that can’t be right.”</p><p>“It’s all right here. Thirteen nights, two guests. Is that not correct?”</p><p>Poe could feel Rey panicking; he wasn’t happy about it either. “But we’re not…” he began. “I just changed it this morning! We had four people. Isn’t that in your system?”</p><p>The young man—Dio, his name badge said—scanned the screen again. “I’m sorry, we only have records of two guests booking a stay.”</p><p>“Then you need to…”</p><p>“You need to find us something else,” Rey said firmly, cutting him off. “Preferably with two beds.”</p><p>The young man looked at her like she was insane, but he tapped away at his keyboard anyway. He kept shaking his head, which made Rey’s stomach twist uncomfortably. This could not be happening! She knew they should have cancelled!</p><p>“I’m sorry, but that was our last room. With the holiday, we are completely booked.”</p><p>“But shouldn’t that be reserved for people that are <em>actually</em> on their honeymoon?” Rey screeched. She winced when she realized people were looking at them funny. God, she and Poe were only <em>friends.</em> How the hell had this happened?</p><p>Poe rested a hand on her arm, out of sight of the clerk. She almost yanked her arm back, but that would only draw <em>more</em> attention not less. He turned back to the clerk. “We were supposed to be in one of the studios originally,” he explained. “But we had a last-minute change of plans. Are you <em>sure</em> there isn’t something else open?”</p><p>While Poe tried to sweet talk the clerk, Rey got out her phone, switching it back on. She used the resort’s wifi to search frantically for something else in their price range. But like here at the Temple, everything was booked, even the cheap hotels in the town on the other side of the island. <em>Had half the country descended on this damn island?</em> she thought angrily. Two weeks alone with Poe was enough of a challenge; now she was supposed to share a room with him? The <em>honeymoon suite?</em> She was going to die.</p><p>Poe clearly came up empty too because he asked if they could have a minute. “Rey.” He was so gentle as he grasped her shoulders. She forced herself to look at him. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking. “What do you want to do, Sunshine? Everything’s full. You have any luck?”</p><p>She sighed. “Nope. Looks like we’re stuck.”</p><p>“Not necessarily.”</p><p>“What? Poe, you just said…”</p><p>“We could go home,” he said quietly. “This was supposed to be...” He sighed. “Not this.”</p><p>“But we just got here.” Sure, the circumstances were less than ideal, but she’d been really looking forward to this. She could tell that Poe didn’t want to go home either. His soft brown eyes were apologetic but hopeful. It meant a lot to her that he <em>would</em> consider going right back home. But Rey was a big girl. She could handle this. They were friends. This didn’t have to get weird. “I don’t want to go home.”</p><p>He smiled. “Okay then.” The clerk came back and finalized their room. Fortunately, it was ready; they just had to get there. Poe accepted the room keys (actual keys, not some fancy Bluetooth thing on their phones), along with a map of the resort. A bellhop appeared out of nowhere to load their bags on a cart. They followed him to the back of the building, where a golf cart waited. Poe and Rey jammed into the small backseat of the golf cart; Poe placed a gentle hand on her back as the cart jerked and started moving. It was hot; Rey felt beads of sweat fall down her neck as they drove to the suite. The resort was small in comparison to the others, but it still seemed sprawling to her. They passed one of the pools and hotel rooms and the onsite farm on their way to one of the cottages near the water.</p><p>Poe handed her one of the keys and Rey went ahead to check it out. It was bigger than she expected from the outside. Like most of the other buildings the walls were whitewashed and made to look older than they really were. It was a nice aesthetic. She turned the key and stepped inside.</p><p>
  <em>Holy shit.</em>
</p><p>When they said <em>suite</em> that felt like an understatement. There was a large living area to the left, complete with a cushy couch and several armchairs. There were sprays of flowers <em>everywhere</em>; most were varieties Rey had never seen before. Two of the four walls opened directly onto a balcony; the ocean was mere feet away. </p><p>But the focus of the cottage was clearly the bed.</p><p>It was huge, easily the largest bed Rey had ever seen in her life. Instead of a headboard, there was a wide wooden desk with two tall lamps. A canopy was suspended from the vaulted ceiling, the gauzy material held back with ribbons. There was a television, but she didn’t anticipate using it. Not with the beach so close. Not to mention all the <em>other</em> things the resort had to offer.</p><p>This was either the best decision she’d ever made or the worst. Only time would tell.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Rey?” Poe called, dragging in his suitcases. “Oh wow.”</p><p>They really weren’t kidding about that honeymoon suite thing, were they? Poe left their bags in the entryway and went looking for Rey. He did his best to ignore the clearly romantic vibe from the room, especially that enormous cushy bed. He found Rey out on the balcony, staring out at the crystal blue ocean. “Hey.”</p><p>She jumped. “Jesus, Poe!”</p><p>“Sorry. I thought you heard me coming.”</p><p>She snorted. “It’s fine.”</p><p>These were unexpected circumstances; he was nervous as hell too. He’d never been nervous around Rey before, but they’d never been alone together this long either. And this was just the beginning of their trip. “Nice view.”</p><p>Her face lit up as she smiled. “Isn’t it? I love it!”</p><p>Her grin was infectious; it was why he’d bestowed his nickname of Sunshine on her. “We’d never be able to afford this normally, so I’d say we got lucky.”</p><p>Poe was right of course, but Rey didn’t want to think about Poe and luck in the same sentence. “I’m going to the beach,” she announced.</p><p>“Like that?”</p><p>Rey scowled. “Of course not!” </p><p>“You’re not going to unpack first?”</p><p>“Why would I do that? I usually just live out of my suitcase.”</p><p>“That seems…inefficient. We’re gonna be here for two weeks.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes at him. “You want to unpack, you go right ahead. I’m changing and heading to the beach.” She marched right past him and quickly found her bag. She set it up on one of the bag racks; she’d packed with this sort of scenario in mind. It took minutes to find a bathing suit, a cover up and her favorite beach towel. The bathroom was just as impressive as the rest of the suite; there was a separate jacuzzi tub that she would definitely try later. Poe was right, they’d lucked into these amenities; they might as well use them!</p><p>She changed quickly and brushed out her hair. It might still be winter, but she wasn’t spending hours on the beach without sunscreen. She applied it diligently, covering as much of her exposed skin that she could reach. However, it became apparent that she had a problem. She couldn’t reach her back. <em>Crap.</em> She leaned against the counter, the bottle in her hand. There was nothing for it; she’d have to suck it up and ask for help. She tied her thin green cover up around her waist and grabbed her towel. “Poe?”</p><p>“Over here.” He had one bag unpacked already and started on the second. He looked up as she approached, his eyes bulging slightly. <em>Oh shit.</em> He hadn’t expected her to be dressed like <em>that.</em> <em>What else is she supposed to wear to the beach, you idiot?</em> He thought grumpily. He wasn’t <em>blind.</em> Rey was a beautiful woman. He just wasn’t used to seeing so much of her pale lightly flecked skin. “Um, hey.”</p><p>She flushed. “I, uh, need some help.” He just looked at her, his mouth slightly agape. She waved the bottle. “Sunscreen? I can’t reach my back.”</p><p>He blinked. “Oh! Right. Right. Here, let me.”</p><p>Rey placed the bottle in his hand and turned around. She held her breath, though she didn’t know why. She reached back and held her hair off her neck. Poe squeezed a bit of the thick lotion into his palm and laid the bottle on the short dresser. Okay. He could do this. He started at the back of her neck, gently massaging the sunscreen into her skin. He was careful of the straps of her dark blue bikini top, sliding along her shoulders.</p><p>Rey finally had to breathe; she hoped Poe didn’t notice her shiver. She wasn’t cold, though a cool ocean breeze came in from the water through their cottage. She swallowed heavily as he moved lower, covering every inch of her exposed skin. </p><p>“There. All done.”</p><p>Rey turned and snatched the bottle back. “Thanks.”</p><p>Poe nodded jerkily; his fingers still tingled from touching her. He couldn’t seem to find his voice, which was unusual for him. He was typically at ease in these sorts of situations. Rey nodded back then grabbed her sunglasses and headed out onto the balcony. Within seconds she was down the stairs and gone. Poe leaned back against the dresser, running his fingers through his curls absently. He had a feeling it was going to be a long trip.</p><hr/><p>Rey relaxed the moment her feet hit the sand. She’d spent a lot of time in dry desert climates, but this was much different from the dry wasteland she remembered. The salty air invigorated her and settled her nerves. She slipped her sunglasses onto her face and practically ran toward the water. This section of the beach was nearly deserted; there were three other couples lounging, not far from their own cottages. An oversized orange and white umbrella stuck out of the ground; the shade looked inviting. Rey shook out her towel and spread out. </p><p>As she laid on her back listening to the sound of the ocean, her thoughts drifted back to the cottage and the man who currently occupied it. What were they going to do? Everyone at this resort would think they were together. But they weren’t. They were just friends. Friends who were only in this mess because their <em>other</em> friends had to bail because of work. This was an accident. She thought about Poe’s offer to go home. Should she have taken him up on it? She was literally in paradise and she wasn’t relaxed. Or not as relaxed as she wanted to be. Poe just had a way of pushing her buttons. And the hell of it was, it wasn’t even his fault.  He’d never given her any indication that he thought of her anything more than his friend. <em>She</em> was the one making this weird.</p><p>She would just have to deal with it. As long as she acted normally, he’d never notice that anything was amiss. She could do that. She could.</p><p>That comforting resolution allowed her to give into the ocean’s soothing call and fall asleep.</p><p>Poe ran his fingers through his curls for the fifth time in as many minutes. He was being stupid. It was just lunch. Well, a late lunch. Between the hassle at the front desk and getting settled in their cottage, a few hours had passed. He was starving; he was sure Rey would be too. For someone so slender, the woman could <em>eat.</em> He actually found it endearing. Once he had his things put away, he rang the front desk for some room service. Hey, the resort was all-inclusive, so why not? While he waited for the food, he went to change into a pair of his trunks. Rey hadn’t come back; he was starting to wonder if she was avoiding him. By why would she do that?</p><p>Perhaps it was just the stress of traveling. That could make anyone crabby. Yeah, that had to be it.</p><p>A knock drew him from his reverie; a short waiter stood there holding a picnic basket. “Mr. Dameron?”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s me. Thanks.”</p><p>“Do you need me to set anything up?”</p><p>“No, no, I can take it from here.”</p><p>“As you wish. Have a good evening.”</p><p>Poe glanced at the clock; it was after four o’clock. No wonder his stomach was trying to eat him alive. The resort had kindly sent along a checkered blanket to go with the picnic basket; Poe tucked that under his arm as he followed Rey’s path down to the beach.</p><p>It was quiet; the late afternoon sun was warm on his skin. It had been a while since he’d gone to the beach. This one was nicer than most. Soft white sand that squished between his toes; there were very few rocks or pebbles. It was pretty deserted, which surprised him. He spotted Rey sprawled out under a huge umbrella; he smiled. When he reached her, he realized why she hadn’t come back inside.</p><p>She was fast asleep.</p><p>As quietly as he could, he spread out the blanket and plopped down beside her. “Rey?” he said, gently shaking her shoulder. “Wake up, Sunshine.”</p><p>Rey jerked, her heart racing. “What? Oh, Poe, it’s you.”</p><p>“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I, uh, brought us some dinner? Or lunch if you prefer.”</p><p>Rey hurried to sit up, brushing the sleep out of her eyes. “What time is it?”</p><p>“After four. Have you been asleep the whole time?” He couldn’t help but notice that she was dry, like she hadn’t been in the water yet.</p><p>She flushed. “Um, yeah. Guess I was more tired than I thought.”</p><p>“It does seem peaceful out here.”</p><p>“Yeah.” She looked over at the basket. “Did you order room service?”</p><p>He gave her a winning smile. “Might as well, right? It’s almost like we’re getting it for free.”</p><p>She huffed a laugh. “Probably.” She moved over to the blanket and sat across from him with her feet tucked under her. “What’d’ya get?”</p><p>“Little of this, a little of that.” The basket came with little plates and utensils; he got those out first. Strangely, a single red rose lay atop the covered food; he found a little vase to go with it. “Oh.” He cringed. “Sorry. I didn’t know they were gonna do that.”</p><p>Rey took the rose and vase, ignoring the heat that rose up her neck. “Don’t worry about it.”</p><p>Poe sat back, his lip caught between his teeth. “Listen, Rey…”</p><p>She shook her head. “No. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been looking forward to this vacation for a while. Do I wish Finn and Rose were here? Yeah. But I meant it when I said I didn’t want to go home. We’ll figure this out. Let’s just relax and have fun, okay?” </p><p>Poe let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Okay. Fair enough.” He produced the steaming covered trays, shrimp and pasta for her and seared scallops for him. There was a bottle of champagne and two glasses; Rey giggled as he popped the cork. He gave her a sheepish grin as he poured them each a glass. “To absent friends and internet snafus?”</p><p>“Sure.” They clinked glasses and took a sip. Rey hummed; it was good. Her meal smelled delicious too. They spent the next hour enjoying their food and talking. Now that the shock of being stuck together like this was wearing off, Rey found she was less nervous around him. Or perhaps it was the champagne. Either way, it was nice to just enjoy time with her friend.</p><p>“We’ll have to try some of the restaurants,” Poe said, stretching out on the blanket. He patted his stomach. “That was delicious.”</p><p>“I’m not sure I can leave this beach,” Rey admitted, stretching out beside him. “It’s so tranquil.”</p><p>He turned his head to look at her in the setting sun. “I’m sure we’ll find something to entice you. You had plans when we picked this place.”</p><p>“Plans change.”</p><p>“That they do.” He sat up and peeled his shirt off. “Come on, let’s see how the water is.”</p><p>Rey inhaled sharply, unprepared for Poe shirtless. She’d seen it before, but never like this. The trunks were low on his hips, giving her just a hint of the defined V. Her eyes moved higher taking in all that golden skin. Jesus, why did he have to be so pretty? She gave herself a mental shake and accepted his proffered hand. Once she was on her feet, she untied her cover up and dashed off toward the ocean with Poe hot on her heels.</p><p>“I didn’t mean like this!” Poe cried as he splashed in after her. Rey’s laugh rang out; he loved that sound. The water was colder than he expected; goosebumps rose on his arms. When the water got up to his chest, he dived under, swimming in the direction he saw Rey last.</p><p>Rey turned around, looking for Poe. He had been right behind her, but when she scanned the area, he was gone. “Poe? Poe!” Before she could start to worry, a pair of hands grabbed her ankles and yanked her feet out from under her. She sank under the water like a stone, her arms and legs flailing. It took her a moment to find her footing and get upright. Poe was there, laughing. She splashed him, still panting for air. “It’s not…nice…to sneak…up on…people,” she wheezed. </p><p>“Did you really expect me not to chase you?” he asked, still grinning. Water dripped from his curls; he wore that smug expression that drove her crazy.</p><p>“Now you’re just asking for it.” This time she dove under the water and started chasing him. They played a two man game of tag until they were out of breath and panting. They’d come out farther than Rey expected; she was forced to tread water because it would be over her head otherwise. The cottage looked much smaller than it had earlier.</p><p>Poe gave her a little nudge. “Truce?”</p><p>“For now, maybe.”</p><p>“Come on, let’s head back.” </p><p>He shot her a grin just before diving under the water again. Show off. Rey rolled her eyes at him as she followed. She didn’t have to swim the whole way; after a couple of minutes, she could stand. She absolutely was <em>not</em> staring at the way Poe’s trunks clung to his skin, putting his ass on display. Nope. Absolutely not.</p><p>Poe shook the water out of his hair as he walked toward their blanket. It was just past sunset now; it would be completely dark soon. He grabbed Rey’s towel to toss it to her, but he came up short when he saw her. Oh. <em>Oh.</em> The bikini clung to her skin, held together by tiny strings. Her dark hair was slicked back and dripping, but he only found her more stunning. When she caught him looking, he thrust the towel at her. “You look like you could use this.”</p><p>“Do I look like a drowned rat or something?”</p><p>“No! No. You, um, look fine.” </p><p>She huffed and wrapped the towel around her hips. “Thanks.”</p><p>Poe busied himself with clearing up their makeshift picnic while Rey lowered the umbrella. She offered to help him with the basket, but he waved her off. They walked back to the cottage together. The moment they got there Rey snatched something out of her huge suitcase and disappeared into the bathroom. Poe found a spare towel in the linen closet and dried himself off. He could feel the salt on his skin, but he’d have to wait to shower. While he waited, he called Finn.</p><p>“Hey! Everything okay?” his friend asked.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, we’re good.”</p><p>“Rey said you’d landed, but nothing since.”</p><p>“She said something about wanting to unplug for a while.”</p><p>“Yeah, that makes sense.”</p><p>“Listen, Finn, I’m really bummed you guys couldn’t make it. This place is pretty amazing.”</p><p>“Me too. I’m expecting pictures and a full run down when you get home.”</p><p>Poe shifted uncomfortably, debating on whether to tell Finn about the mix up with the room. It had the potential to get very awkward; Poe didn’t want to drag Finn into something he had no control over. Best to just get on with it. “Yeah, sure. We’ll send you a postcard or something. I’m sure they do that here.” They chatted for a few more minutes until Poe heard Rey coming out of the bathroom. Neither said a word as he slipped past her for his shower.</p><p>Rey threw her dirty clothes into the laundry bag and dug her Kindle out of her backpack. She started to head for the bed but stopped short. They hadn’t discussed the sleeping arrangements. With only one bed—albeit a huge bed—she wasn’t sure what to do. They were both adults; surely they could share without things getting weird? Then she remembered her reaction to him being shirtless and decided that was a terrible idea. But she didn’t like the idea of him sleeping on the couch either. Or her sleeping on the couch. That felt wrong too.</p><p>Frustrated, she flopped down into one of the armchairs. The frame was made of bamboo; it was very comfortable. She read while she waited for Poe to emerge from the bathroom. She had to fight the urge to yawn; clearly, her nap hadn’t been enough to banish the exhaustion of traveling.</p><p>Poe padded back into the main living area; it was eerily quiet. He found Rey curled up in one of the chairs, asleep. She looked really cute like that, but it had to be uncomfortable. “Hey,” he murmured.</p><p>Rey yawned. “Did I fall asleep again? Damn it.”</p><p>“It’s okay.”</p><p>“I promise I’m usually much more fun,” she replied, stretching. Her Kindle crashed to the floor; Poe picked it up and handed it to her. “Thanks.”</p><p>“We got up early for our flight,” he reminded her. “And you’ve been working pretty hard from what Finn tells me.”</p><p>“Finn talks too much.”</p><p>He chuckled. “I’m fine with calling it an early night. Though I might watch some TV if that’s alright with you.”</p><p>“Yeah, it’s fine.” She bit her lip. “Um…who’s sleeping where?”</p><p>Poe’s heart sunk. “Right. I hadn’t, um, thought about that.” He looked over at the bed; it seemed so inviting. “You should have the bed. I’ll be fine on the couch.”</p><p>“I knew you were gonna say that.”</p><p>“Pop would flay me alive if I let the lady take the couch.”</p><p>“And they say chivalry is dead.” And yet, she didn’t move. “Are you sure?”</p><p>Poe waved her off. “Yes. Now go.”</p><p>She started to, but she doubled back and hugged him. “I’m glad we stayed,” she said quietly.</p><p>He was surprised but hugged her back. “I am too.” He waited until she’d settled in the bed before turning the lights off. Instead of turning on the big TV, he got out his iPad to watch some Netflix until his brain could switch off. It had been a hell of a day.</p><p>“Poe?”</p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p>“Good night.”</p><p>“Good night, Rey.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Poe rolled over again, trying to find a comfortable position. The simple fact was the couch was not made for sleeping. He caught snatches of sleep—an hour or two—then something would wake him. Usually that something was Rey. She tossed and turned even more than he did; he caught her mumbling a few times. Was she always such a restless sleeper? He confessed that he didn’t know; this was the first time they’d been in such close quarters. The studio they were supposed to get had two separate bedrooms; they would have split guys and girls. No such luck now. </p><p>Worse was the image of Rey in her bikini refusing to go away. It hung behind his eyelids every time he shut them. God, she would murder him if she knew. For so long, she was just Ben’s cute younger cousin, but now he saw she was so much more than that. It was easy to just be friends when they were hanging out with the gang. Alone with her? He was thinking things he absolutely should not, and it was only the first <em>day.</em></p><p>He really needed to get it together.</p><p>Sighing, he got out his phone again. If he wasn’t going to sleep, maybe he could find suggestions for how they should spend the day. The Temple sported the usual amenities: several pools, restaurants, boat and water ski rentals, multiple bars, guided tours of the island. There was a special tour to the skeleton of the old colonial fort; that looked promising. Rey’s dad was an archeologist; Poe thought she’d like that. He wanted to find something that wasn’t <em>too</em> intimate that would reestablish the friend boundaries. The last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable.</p><p>“No, no, no…”</p><p>Poe sat up; that was Rey’s voice. She’d been muttering off and on all night, but this was the first time he made out actual words. Moonlight illuminated the bed; she was tangled up in the sheets, whimpering and thrashing. A nightmare? Poe threw the thin blanket off, crossed the room, and knelt by the bed. “Rey,” he whispered. “Wake up.” He shook her shoulder, biting his lip with worry.</p><p>Her eyes popped open a moment later; it took her a moment to recognize him. Rey groaned as she sagged into the mattress. “Ugh.”</p><p>“You okay?”</p><p>Her cheeks flamed in embarrassment; she was glad it was dark. “Yeah. Did I wake you?”</p><p>“I wasn’t asleep.”</p><p>That only made her feel worse. “Sorry. Happens sometimes when I sleep in a new place.”</p><p>She tried to hide her face, but Poe sat on the edge of the bed. “You wanna talk about it?”</p><p>“Not really.” She was so tired that she hoped to be spared, but her subconscious just wouldn’t have it. If she’d kept Poe awake, she owed him an explanation, but she didn’t want him to feel sorry for her. It wasn’t his fault she had a weird childhood. He stared at her for a long minute, then started to get up. Guilt washed over her; she couldn’t in good conscience let him sleep on the couch after this. “You don’t have to go.”</p><p>“Rey…”</p><p>“That couch isn’t for sleeping,” she pointed out. “It’s pointless to make you sleep there when there’s a perfectly good bed right here.”</p><p>“Rey, it’s fine.” </p><p>She untangled herself and sat up. “And I say it’s <em>not.</em> Are we gonna argue about it all night?”</p><p>He turned; her face was set. He knew she was stubborn; so was he. Potential awkwardness aside, the bed did look inviting. After a moment, he sighed. “Okay.” He walked around the edge of the bed and climbed in on the far side. He hummed, sinking into the mattress like it was a warm puffy cloud. “Much better than the couch.”</p><p>Rey offered him a small smile. “Good.” She slid back under the covers and turned to face him. There was a good two feet between them; his eyes were soft as he stared back at her. “Sorry again. I should have said…”</p><p>“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’ve slept in worse places.”</p><p>“Oh yeah?”</p><p>Poe grinned. “Yeah. My dad was in the Army when he was young. When I was a kid, he used to take me out and teach me how to survive in the wild. Every summer, we spent two weeks sleeping on the ground.”</p><p>Rey wrinkled her nose. “Not even a tent?”</p><p>“Nope.”</p><p>“Ugh.”</p><p>“Yeah. But looking back now, I’m grateful I had that time with him.”</p><p>Rey bit her lip. She understood complicated parental relationships. She loved her dad, but he wasn’t the greatest at showing how he felt. “Listen, about the nightmares…”</p><p>“You don’t have to explain.”</p><p>“I want to. My dad and I…we haven’t always had the best relationship. He was always out on some dig or research trip; he would always be busy, so Mum never wanted us to travel with him. I would go months without seeing him. He always brought me something, a trinket, a toy, something. And I idolized him.” Even now in her wallet, there was a picture of little Rey running up to her dad after a long trip away. “Then Mum…died…”</p><p>Poe inched closer, his hand sliding under the sheet to cover hers. He didn’t speak; Rey was grateful. She hadn’t talked about this in a long time. “Anyway, Dad suddenly had an eight-year-old to take care of by himself. But he was so passionate about his work that he brought me along. My aunt Leia offered to take me, but Dad refused. So, I got to travel, see the world. And it was great. Until night came. It was hard. It was a lot to take in for a little kid. I think part of me was afraid I would lose him the way I lost Mum. Dad’s way of coping was to throw himself into his work, but I didn’t really understand that until I was older. Night terrors faded to just regular nightmares.”</p><p>Poe squeezed her hand. “Sounds to me like you were a brave kid.”</p><p>She huffed. “I didn’t feel like it. But it was the only life I knew.”</p><p>“That explains why I didn’t meet you sooner. You were off with your dad.”</p><p>Rey flushed. “Trust me, you wouldn’t have wanted anything to do with nerdy teenage me.”</p><p>“As opposed to nerdy adult Rey? I think she’s pretty great, actually.”</p><p>Rey poked him. “Now you’re just being mean.”</p><p>“Fine, don’t believe me.” He drew his hand away and gave her a small smile. “Thanks for telling me. You gonna be alright?”</p><p>“I hope so. If it bothers you, I can move to the couch.”</p><p>He shot her a look. “Let’s just try to sleep.”</p><p>Poe closed his eyes, but he stayed awake until he heard Rey’s breathing even out. He knew she’d grown up with her dad, but he never knew her mother had passed. Rey never spoke of her, not even to Finn or Rose. Poe felt a new kinship with her, as he’d lost his mom young too. He didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to make things about him. Rey confided something very personal to him; he couldn’t betray her trust. He’d just find another way to show how much her trust meant to him.</p><hr/><p>Rey woke up to the sun in her eyes. She groaned and blinked; they might have to adjust the blinds in the future. Though the angle of the sun told her it was late morning. How long had she slept? And why was Poe spooned up against her back?</p><p>That revelation shot her into alertness. <em>Shit, shit shit.</em> Memories from the night before flooded her mind. She’d had a nightmare and Poe woke her up. She insisted he share the bed with her. But she definitely remembered him being several feet away when she fell asleep. So how the hell had <em>this</em> happened?</p><p>She bit her lip; she didn’t want to admit that it felt nice having him there. His arm was slung over her stomach; she could feel his breath on her neck. She remembered him saying he couldn’t really sleep on the couch; that was why she’d offered him the bed and refused to take no for an answer.</p><p>Okay. She just had to get up. She’d get up, disappear into the bathroom, prepare for the day, and Poe would be none the wiser. Easy. </p><p>Slowly, carefully, she started to untangle herself; she sucked in a sharp breath as his hand tightened on her stomach. He mumbled something she didn’t catch, then he settled again. Another deep breath, then she tried again. This time she was successful. When she turned to get to her bag, she came up short. Poe looked so boyishly handsome in sleep; she had to fight the urge to brush a stray curl off his forehead. She couldn’t do that. That was something a girlfriend did. And Rey certainly wasn’t his girlfriend. She noticed the ring that hung from a chain around his neck; did he ever take it off? She couldn’t remember <em>not</em> seeing it there. She wondered what it meant.</p><p><em>Time to get moving,</em> she scolded herself. She left Poe behind and hurried to her suitcase. She grabbed the first thing she saw and tucked it under her arm before padding to the bathroom. She’d just showered the night before, but she needed a few moments to herself to get her head on straight. She stood under the showerhead for a long time, just soaking in the heat. She was surprised by how rested she felt; she couldn’t recall waking up again once Poe joined her. She’d been afraid that her…issues would necessitate her retreat to the couch, but that wasn’t the case. Thank god because she really didn’t want to relinquish the bed. It was <em>fantastic.</em></p><p>Poe woke to the sound of the surf. He stretched and rolled onto his back, not quite ready to fully wake up yet. For the first time in a while, he had absolutely nowhere to be. He was far away from the drudgery of daily life with one of his best friends in paradise. That was enough for him. Speaking of Rey, he glanced to his left, frowning at the empty bed. Where was she? He skimmed his hand over the indent in the pillow; it was still warm. He sat up, realizing with a start that he’d moved far closer to her than he’d been the night before. Oops. But her sleep must have been peaceful because the couch was just as he’d left it earlier.</p><p>He had no idea what time it was. The cottage had no clock that he could see; his phone was across the room. His stomach growled; it had to be well after he usually ate breakfast. Perhaps he could convince Rey to try one of the restaurants? He climbed from the bed; he heard water running. That explained where Rey was. Poe stepped directly on to the balcony, taking in the view. It certainly was gorgeous. He could see a couple walking hand in hand in the surf; he had to look away, lest his traitorous brain get any ideas.</p><p>He headed back inside and checked the front door. Someone had left a copy of the local newspaper and a list of the day’s activities. Poe perused it while he went about making himself some coffee in the Keurig.</p><p>Rey smelled coffee the moment she stepped out of the bathroom. Damn, that meant Poe was awake. She padded back to her suitcase and tossed dirty clothes into the laundry bag. “Morning,” Poe called.</p><p>She couldn’t ignore him now. <em>Just act normal,</em> she thought. That was easier said than done. Poe was perched in one of the armchairs wearing only his sleep pants and the chain around his neck. In one hand, he held a cup of steaming coffee and in the other he had a newspaper. That brought her up short. “You’re reading the <em>paper?</em> What part of vacation did you miss?”</p><p>“This is the local one; it doesn’t count,” he replied smoothly. “How else are we going to know what’s good to do around here?” He lowered one of the corners; the cup stopped halfway to his lips. Well, shit. He wasn’t prepared for Rey dressed in a cute off-white sundress cinched in the middle by a thin belt. Her hair was still wet from the shower. </p><p>She frowned. “Poe? You okay?”</p><p>He blinked. “Yeah, yeah, I’m good. You should, uh, try some of the coffee. Beans grown locally on the island apparently.”</p><p>Rey suppressed a smile; she’d never really seen him so flustered before. She did as he suggested, impressed the room had its own Keurig. Once she had her coffee, she joined him, sitting on the couch. “So, what should we do today?”</p><p>“Well…I’m starving, so hopefully breakfast.”</p><p>Rey glanced outside. “It might be time for brunch. Do they do brunch here?”</p><p>“Sunshine, I’m pretty sure they do everything here.” He reached for the list of activities, scanning the food options. “Yep, right here. ‘For late risers, brunch is served at the Village Kitchen from 10:00am through 2:00pm.’ There’s no menu though. Think we should give it a try?”</p><p>“Sure, why not?” </p><p>Poe grinned. “Give me ten minutes.”</p><p>Rey rolled her eyes. “I’m timing you!” she called as he headed for the bathroom. She started the timer on her Apple watch and reached for the discarded brochure. It looked like Poe circled a few things, like water skiing and hiking. They’d just arrived; Rey imagined them relaxing by the ocean for a few days. And yet, she was still her father’s daughter. She loved exploring new places. What had Finn mentioned? Something about an old fort? She scanned the sheet; it was on the back. They did tours of the fort every other day; the next one was at 2:00pm. </p><p>Excited, she hurried over to her suitcase to dig out her camera. Her phone took perfectly fine pictures, but she’d started taking pictures from the time she was a small child. She’d become her dad’s unofficial photographer when she was a teenager, as such, he splurged on her equipment.</p><p>Poe found Rey rummaging in her bag as he stepped into the room. “Looking for something?”</p><p>She jumped, startled. “Poe!”</p><p>“Sorry.”</p><p>She sighed, stopping her stopwatch. “Fourteen minutes, by the way.”</p><p>“Now you’re avoiding the question.”</p><p>“Looking for my camera.”</p><p>“Oh. Will we be needing it?”</p><p>Rey bit her lip, her eyes lingering on Poe’s damp curls as he dried them with a towel. Why did he have to be so attractive? Bastard. “I saw you wanted to visit the old fort. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten a chance to use it.”</p><p>“Okay. Sounds like fun.”</p><p>It was a beautiful day, so they decided to walk to the Village Kitchen. The grounds were littered with more obsidian art; Rey just had to stop and take a few photos. This was the kind of thing her dad loved. Poe was very patient with her, which she appreciated. They passed a couple of the pools, including one that had a tall water slide. The Village Kitchen was near the center of the resort; it was a very open space with an obsidian fountain out front.</p><p>Poe approached the hostess. “Two for brunch?”</p><p>“Of course. Room number?”</p><p>“1138, Dameron?”</p><p>The young woman tapped that into her iPad. “Follow me, Mr. &amp; Mrs. Dameron.”</p><p>Poe cringed; he couldn’t look at Rey. Did everyone at this place think they were married? The hostess led them to a very secluded table; it overlooked the Takadona Preserve where they did the guided jungle tours. “Someone will be with you shortly.”</p><p>Instinctively, Poe held out the chair for Rey. “You’re not actually buying into this married stuff, are you?” she hissed as she sat down.</p><p>“What do you propose?” he shot back, taking his seat across from her. “We correct every single person we meet?”</p><p>“Yes!” she breathed.</p><p>“I didn’t know being fake married to me would be so repugnant,” Poe muttered.</p><p>Rey’s face fell. That wasn’t what she meant at all. She opened her mouth to respond, but their waiter arrived. To make things worse, he brought a couple of candles with him. These people thought they were on their honeymoon; of course, they would want to make things romantic. Rey bit her tongue; she didn’t want to hurt Poe’s feelings.</p><p>“Not sure why they make us do this,” the waiter grumbled, as he lit the candles. “Do you know the average rate of divorce in most Western countries? It’s high…it’s very high.”</p><p>Poe forced a laugh, reaching over to cover Rey’s hand with his. “I think we’ll take our chances,” he replied.</p><p>“Suit yourselves. Now what can I get you?”</p><p>Rey hadn’t even glanced at the menu yet. “Could we, uh, have a minute?”</p><p>The waiter—Kay, according to his name badge—sighed. “If you must.” He turned abruptly, leaving them alone.</p><p>“Interesting fellow,” Poe said, taking his hand back.</p><p>Rey still didn’t pick up her menu. She felt bad about her outburst. “Listen, Poe…”</p><p>“It won’t happen again,” he said before she could finish.</p><p>This time it was Rey who reached out, curling her fingers around his bare forearm. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I haven’t been very gracious about this, but it has <em>nothing</em> to do with you.” No, it was more about the latent crush she’d had on him forever, but that wasn’t his fault. “I’ve never dealt with sudden changes well.”</p><p>Poe slid his fingers over hers. “I know it’s not ideal, but no one here seems to care what we think,” he replied softly. “Maybe we could have some fun with it? Hell, at least get some perks. It’ll be a hell of a story to tell when we get home.”</p><p>His teasing crooked grin melted her lingering resistance. Poe was just too adorable like this. “Maybe you’re right.”</p><p>“So whaddya say? Will you be my fake wife, Rey Skywalker?”</p><p>She smiled back. “Sounds like a plan.”</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The walk to the concierge desk was short, but Poe offered his arm to Rey anyway. If they were going to do this happy honeymoon couple thing, they might as well do it right. She looked at him quizzically for a moment, then flushed adorably as she slipped her arm through his. He couldn’t have stopped his pleased grin if he tried. He could admit to himself that it felt nice.</p><p>They wove through the other guests, following the corridor into the main building. The concierge desk was to the right; an older man in a waistcoat and tie stood ready and waiting with another iPad. He smiled as they approached. “Why, hello!” Poe was surprised by the English accent. “How may I be of service?”</p><p>Poe glanced at Rey; she elbowed him gently. “Hi. My, uh, wife and I were hoping to tour the fort this afternoon? But we’ve gotten a bit turned around, I think.”</p><p>Rey flushed again at the word “wife.” It sounded so strange, but the way Poe said it made her belly flutter. She wasn’t used to him standing so close to her or looking at her like <em>that.</em> She had to admit he certainly was good at playing the adoring husband. </p><p>“Ah, yes! It happens frequently, sir. Let’s get you oriented.” The concierge—Daniels, according to his name tag—flipped the iPad around and pointed out various landmarks. Seeing the map drove home just how secluded the cottages were from the rest of the resort, no doubt to give those guests a sense of privacy. “So, you’ll just take this path here to the car park. I believe the next tour leaves in about fifteen minutes.”</p><p>“Fantastic. Thanks!” Poe surprised her by unhooking her arm from his and taking her hand. “Come on, sweetheart.”</p><p>Sweetheart? Rey had to bite her lip as Poe led them back outside. Her head was spinning from the abrupt change. She knew there would have to be a certain amount of cuddling and affection to make the ruse work, but she didn’t expect Poe to jump in with both feet. She was struggling to keep up. When they reached the car park, there were several other groups waiting for the shuttle. All the benches were taken, so they stood by one of the posts.</p><p>“Hey, you okay?” Poe asked softly.</p><p>Rey smiled, but she knew it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”</p><p>Poe frowned. “I’m getting too much into character, aren’t I?” This was the last thing he wanted. “Look, it was a stupid thing to suggest…”</p><p>Rey refused to let go of his hand when he tried to back away. “No! No, it wasn’t. You just…took me by surprise. You’re…enthusiastic?”</p><p>Poe smiled softly at her. “Why wouldn’t I be happy about having the prettiest woman here on my arm?”</p><p>She snorted and rolled her eyes. “Don’t make fun.”</p><p>“I wasn’t.” She raised her eyes to his, her shock evident. “What, you think I hadn’t noticed? You <em>are</em> beautiful, Rey.”</p><p>She didn’t know what to say, but it seemed that Poe didn’t need a response. He slipped his arm around her waist and tucked her into his side as they waited for the shuttle. She appreciated the time to become accustomed to Poe’s casual affection. He was a very tactile person; he tended to greet everyone with a handshake or a hug if he knew them well. It was just how he was. She knew he was just playing a part, but it still felt nice.</p><p>Right on time, the shuttle appeared. The driver took their names as they climbed the short steps. The strap on Rey’s camera bag got caught; Poe helped her untangle it. “Thanks.”</p><p>He winked at her. “Anytime.” The moment they were settled, he took her hand and rested their joined hands on his thigh. </p><p>“Your wife a shutter bug too?”</p><p>Poe looked up, a man a few years older than him was smiling. “Oh. Yeah.”</p><p>The dark haired man slipped his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “This is certainly the place for it. It’s beautiful.”</p><p>“Yeah, it is.” Though Poe privately thought the most beautiful thing he’d seen since their arrival was Rey walking out of the surf in her blue bikini.</p><p>“We’ve been here for a week. Second honeymoon.”</p><p>“More like the first,” his wife corrected. She had an English accent as well; she might have been an older Rey. “We got called back home two days into the first one, Cassian.”</p><p>“That’s awful,” Rey said sympathetically.</p><p>“National security doesn’t really have a schedule,” the man—Cassian—muttered. “You knew that when you married me, Jyn.”</p><p>“Still not sure I made the right choice,” Jyn deadpanned, but Poe could tell she was teasing. Her eyes were too adoring. Suddenly, he wished Rey would look at him like that. <em>Woah, down, boy,</em> he thought.</p><p>Cassian pressed a kiss to his wife’s temple, then held out his free hand to Poe. “Cassian Andor. This is my wife, Jyn.”</p><p>Poe had to release Rey to complete the handshake. “Poe Dameron.”</p><p>“And I’m Rey. It’s nice to meet you.” Jyn immediately asked her about her camera; that conversation occupied them the whole drive to the fort. Rey was so absorbed that she barely noticed Poe’s hand casually stroking the small of her back.</p><p>It was a relatively short drive to the fort, but the parking lot was more crowded than Rey expected. They’d been in their own bubble since they arrived; she remembered there were a couple of other resorts on the island. It looked like they all had their own shuttles. </p><p>The fort dated from the sixteenth century, when the island was first taken from the native people. Like the Imperial Mission that brought its aesthetic to the Temple, the fort carried remnants of Imperial influence. It was made of adobe and wood; its two stories were crumbling. On the side that faced the sea, a series of spikes stuck out of the ground at an angle. </p><p>“Welcome to Fort Ilum,” their driver said. He patted his satchel. “I have here an audio version of the tour if you wish to explore on your own. Of course, there are guides and rangers throughout the complex to answer any questions you may have. For our photography enthusiasts, there are plenty of picturesque spots; they are marked on your maps. Please make sure you return to the shuttle by 5:00; this is our last trip of the day. Enjoy!”</p><p>Poe picked up one of the audio tours; Rey had already abandoned him to explore. He hurried after her, a battered iPod in his hand. “Rey, wait up!”</p><p>She stopped, raising her camera to get a shot of a bird sitting on one of the posts. “Oh, sorry.”</p><p>He chuckled. “Maybe we should have gotten here earlier since you’re so keen.”</p><p>Rey blushed. “This is the kind of thing I grew up doing,” she admitted. “Dad would love this place.”</p><p>“We’re not here with your dad,” Poe pointed out. “Not that I don’t like the old curmudgeon, but you’re more fun.”</p><p>“Oh yeah?”</p><p>Poe took her hand. “Come on.” Rey tucked her camera away for the moment while Poe set up the audio tour. Like on the plane, they had to share headphones, but she didn’t mind. Plus, it made their newlywed act more believable. Rey listened to the tour with a critical ear; a lifetime with Luke Skywalker taught her that everyone had an agenda when it came to history. She was impressed by how unvarnished it was. It didn’t shy away from the sometimes dark history of the place. The native population had been cruelly oppressed; it wasn’t until the Imperials were forced to leave the region that they regained control of the island. But three hundred years of oppression left its mark.</p><p>“You okay?” Poe asked, squeezing her waist.</p><p>“Yeah.” Then she shook her head. “Actually no. How can people be so awful to each other?”</p><p>“I don’t know. But not everything is terrible.” He pointed to a group of children playing in the fort’s courtyard. “No one can undo the past, Rey, but we can make things better.”</p><p>She hugged him tightly. “Thanks, I needed to hear that.”</p><p>Poe held her a moment longer than was probably appropriate, but he didn’t care. It felt right. “How about we put that fancy camera to good use?”</p><p>“Okay.” There was a section of the second floor of the fort that wasn’t crumbling; they climbed up the wooden steps gingerly. “Oh wow,” Rey whispered as she reached the top. The view was amazing from up there. The Mon Cala Sea glittered all the way to the horizon; a blanket of green gave way to the pristine beach. </p><p>“Look at that,” Poe said, touching her shoulder. </p><p>Rey turned and gasped. “Wow.” Mount Corvus loomed over them, almost jet black against the crystal blue sky. The volcano that created the island was distinctive for its two craters; the smaller one erupting almost constantly, creating and changing the ecosystem. Rey fished her camera out and started taking pictures, trying to capture the obsidian that glinted around the edges of the volcano. After over two dozen pictures, she wasn’t sure she got it, but she didn’t want to miss the sunset. She moved to her right, snapping more pictures. </p><p>She came up short when she saw Poe in her frame. He wasn’t looking at her; he was staring out at the ocean. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but he looked peaceful and relaxed. Happy? The fading sunlight kissed his bronze skin perfectly; he was gorgeous. She surreptitiously snapped a few pictures of him, just because she could. </p><p>“Hey, do you want me to take one for you and your husband?”</p><p>Rey whirled around; Jyn stood there smiling knowingly. Rey flushed, caught. “Oh no, that’s okay.”</p><p>“You only get to be a newlywed once,” the older woman pointed out. “These are memories you won’t want to forget.”</p><p><em>You have no idea,</em> Rey thought. What could one picture hurt? She handed Jyn her camera. “Poe! Picture time.”</p><p>He grinned. “Sounds good.” He slipped his arm around her waist; Rey copied him. They smiled for the camera; Rey hoped they looked appropriately happy. </p><p>Jyn snapped a few pictures then tilted her head. “Come on, is that all you’ve got? This is your <em>honeymoon</em>!”</p><p>Rey looked at Poe with wide eyes. What did she want? A hug? A <em>kiss?</em> Her heart started to pound just thinking about it. Unbidden, her eyes dropped to his lips, those oh so kissable lips. Poe pulled her close, leaning his forehead against hers. She could feel his breath on her lips. But he didn’t kiss her. She could hear Jyn chattering away, but she wasn’t paying attention to the words. They were supposed to be a married couple; married couples kissed, right? What could one kiss hurt?</p><p>Before she could change her mind, Rey leaned in and pressed her lips to his.</p><p>Poe blinked in shock, but his arms instinctively tightened around her. God, he hadn’t expected her to <em>kiss</em> him! He could hear the shutter going, but the sound faded into the background. Their lips remained fused for what felt like an eternity, but he was certain it was only a few seconds. The loss of contact was unacceptable; Poe quickly leaned in and captured her lips again, not caring that they had an audience. Rey’s hands tightened around his neck as she kissed him back, her tongue teasing the seam of his lips.</p><p>Poe remembered himself at the last moment, gently pulling away. She looked as dazed as he felt. He prayed he hadn’t gone too far.</p><p>“Now that was a honeymoon worthy kiss!” Jyn cried happily.</p><p>Rey flushed, belatedly realizing they weren’t alone. What the hell had possessed her to do that? Poe released her, which only made her feel worse, not better. Had it been that bad? Poe took the camera back from Jyn and slipped it into Rey’s bag. Once the other woman left, he ran his fingers nervously through his hair. “You, uh, look a little freaked out, Sunshine,” he said softly.</p><p>She couldn’t quite look him in the eye, afraid of what she would see there. “Was it terrible?”</p><p>Poe frowned, confused. “Terrible? That’s a joke, right?”</p><p>“You don’t have to coddle me, Poe. I’m a big girl.” She couldn’t face him, so she turned to look out at the ocean.</p><p>God, did she <em>regret</em> kissing him? Kissing her was all he’d been thinking about since she stepped out of the bathroom the day before. Unless she was scared. She’d been against this trip with the two of them from the beginning. Now, he was worried he’d ruined their friendship. But she’d kissed him back.</p><p>She. Kissed. Him. Back.</p><p>“Rey.” He stepped closer. “Rey, look at me.”</p><p>She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest as she complied. “What?”</p><p>Poe gave her an exasperated look. “It seems like there are a few things we need to clear up. First, that kiss wasn’t terrible. It was amazing. Second, while you shocked the hell out of me, I don’t regret it. Do you?”</p><p>Did she regret it? Truthfully, she wasn’t sure. She’d had a crush on him for years, but she never actually allowed herself to dream that he would think of her as anything but a friend. And they were supposed to be faking this whole newlywed thing. “I don’t know,” she said honestly.</p><p>The crack in her voice made his heart hurt. Rey was an amazing woman; she shouldn’t be doubting herself like this. But no unforgivable lines had been crossed. And wouldn’t be if he had any say about it. He’d follow her lead. He stepped closer, tangling his fingers with hers. She looked down at their hands, then up at Poe. “So how do we fix this?”</p><p>Her heart hammered in her chest; once again, her eyes dropped to his lips. She <em>did</em> like kissing him. They had to make this ruse believable, right? They would be expected to be all couple-y and affectionate. None of that was <em>hard</em>; Poe was a handsome guy.</p><p>What was it her aunt Leia always said? <em>In for a penny, in for a pound.</em></p><p>“Like this.” She cupped the back of his neck and pulled him close, slanting her lips over his. A surprised sound caught in his throat, but he didn’t hesitate to pull her against him. This time neither held back; when Rey’s tongue brushed the seam of his lips, he opened for her eagerly. He tasted of the fruity drink he had for brunch; a shiver raced down her spine. She was actually kissing Poe Dameron. And he was kissing her back with slow tortuous swipes of his tongue.</p><p>The alarm on Poe’s phone went off; they broke apart with a gasp. “Damn it.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“It’s time to go back to the shuttle.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>Poe brushed a chaste kiss to her lips, smiling when she didn’t push him away. “So kissing is allowed now?”</p><p>She flushed red but nodded. “Kissing is definitely allowed.”</p><p>They walked hand in hand back to the shuttle; Rey tried not to think too much. For once, she simply wanted to live in the moment. This fake marriage thing could be fun! In what other context would she have ever gotten to kiss Poe? She’d never mustered the courage before. Had anything changed? She had no idea, but they had time to figure all that out.</p><p>Poe brushed a featherlight kiss to the top of her head as the shuttle pulled away. She seemed content, resting her head on his shoulder. He liked the way she felt in his arms, but he didn’t want to assume anything. There might not be anything to assume. He was going to let her call the shots. </p><p>It had been an eventful day; they decided to order room service again when they returned to the Temple. The cottage had been cleaned and straightened in the time they’d been gone; more fresh flowers sat on the desk. “They really go all out on these honeymoon suites, don’t they?” Rey asked as she sniffed the flowers.</p><p>“Looks that way. I wonder what we’ll get tomorrow?”</p><p>“Hmm, I think I just want to spend the day on the beach.”</p><p>“Not eager to try ziplining? Or water skiing?”</p><p>“We did come here to <em>relax</em>, remember? But you can go ziplining if you want.”</p><p>Poe shrugged; it just didn’t seem as fun without her. “How about this? We spend the afternoon on the beach, then check out some of the bars? Or maybe have a nice dinner?”</p><p>She arched a brow at him. “That sounds suspiciously like a date.”</p><p>He held up his hands. “No date. But people will think it’s weird if we spend all our time here,” he said reasonably. “We did come here to have some fun as well as relax. No reason we can’t do both.”</p><p>Alright, he did have a point. Friends had dinner and went drinking together all the time. Only she got a few extra benefits this time around. She could do that. “No alarms,” she warned. “I plan on sleeping late.”</p><p>“Fair enough.”</p><p>Their dinner arrived a few minutes later, complete with a complimentary fancy dessert that was meant for them to share. Poe thought it was funny. They sat across from each other in the armchairs, their meal spread out on the low coffee table. As they ate, Rey could almost forget that they’d kissed. Poe seemed his normal slightly goofball self as he told embarrassing stories from his childhood. This was an opportunity to really get to know each other, in a way they never had before. She shared a few anecdotes about her dad. It was nice. </p><p>Until they got to dessert.</p><p>“Go ahead, you can have it,” Poe said, pushing the plate toward her. “Satisfy that sweet tooth.”</p><p>“That’s way too much for one person,” she protested.</p><p>“You sure?”</p><p>“Poe, just eat the damn tart.” They dug into it with their spoons at the same time; they both laughed. The tart was made from locally sourced fruit that Rey couldn’t pronounce, but it was delicious. They gobbled it down greedily until there was one bite left.</p><p>“After you,” Poe said, poking the plate again with his spoon.</p><p>“I had way more than you!” she protested. “You take it.”</p><p>“Nope.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes. “Do you enjoy being stubborn?”</p><p>“Do you?” he shot back.</p><p>“Ugh, fine.” She scooped up the piece and shoved it in her mouth. Poe’s eyes locked onto her mouth; he swallowed heavily. Rey swallowed, unable to tear her eyes away as he stood and stalked over to her. She suppressed a shiver as he bent down and kissed the corner of her mouth. Once, twice, three times before Rey turned her head just enough to kiss him properly. Poe pulled her to her feet, still kissing her. Rey sank her fingers into his curls as she kissed him back, leaving them both breathless. “There’s no one here,” she murmured quietly.</p><p>“Practice?” he replied, offering her a sheepish grin. “What is it they say? Fake it ‘til you make it?”</p><p>She giggled. “Hmm, sounds good to me.” She stood up on her toes and kissed him again. After all, practice made perfect, right?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The delicious smell of fresh coffee roused her from a deep sleep. Rey rolled over, blinking against the light that streamed into the cottage. They lowered the blinds the night before, but they were pulled up now. She glanced to her right, disappointed to realize she was alone in the huge bed. </p><p>Why was she alone?</p><p>She recalled vividly that their makeout session moved from the living room to the balcony. It was heady, kissing him under the stars. It seemed that once they started neither could muster the will to stop. That said, it was probably the most innocent makeout session Rey experienced since she was a teenager. At one point, she wound up perched in his lap, but he made no effort to touch her more intimately. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. It should be a good thing. Poe respected her boundaries with regard to their friendship. But there was a part of her that <em>wanted</em> him to touch her. There was part of her that wanted to know what it would be like.</p><p>When they finally did go to bed, there wasn’t any discussion; Poe simply slipped into bed and held her until she fell asleep. Later when she woke up to use the bathroom, they’d moved, but this time, Rey was curled around <em>him.</em> He muttered under his breath when she returned, so she snuggled close, which soothed him. That was the last thing she remembered. More importantly, she didn’t have a single nightmare.</p><p>“Poe?” He appeared with a mug of coffee in his hand. To her surprise, he was dressed in a t-shirt and shorts; his curls were damp around the edges. “You’re up early.”</p><p>He shrugged. “Not too early,” he hedged. “It’s almost eleven.” What he didn’t tell her was that he’d been up since about eight. He woke up with Rey in his arms, her leg thrown over his thighs and her soft curves pressed against him. So of course, he <em>also</em> woke up with a massive hard on. Between their makeout session the night before and her delectable body pressed against him, he was very, very screwed. He stayed perfectly still for a long time, mentally pleading with his cock to settle the fuck down. But it was no use. He knew how she tasted now. He knew the sounds she made when he nipped at her kiss swollen lips. Aside from the kissing, he’d been a gentleman, not touching anywhere inappropriate. But <em>damn</em> had it been a struggle. </p><p>There was too much at stake. This was just supposed to be a lark. He refused to put their friendship at risk unless Rey indicated otherwise. He was going to follow her lead, even if it killed him. </p><p>Once it was obvious that he wasn’t going to calm down, he slithered out of the bed. He brushed a soft kiss to her hair then headed for the bathroom. He stripped and doused himself in the coldest water he could tolerate. That helped. But he still felt antsy, so he decided to go out for a run. The resort had a two-mile path laid out, weaving among the buildings. He hadn’t planned on doing any running on vacation but plans change. The run helped even more, allowing him to clear his head.</p><p>Thankfully, Rey was still asleep when he returned. He busied himself with coffee and munched on some of the fruit that the staff left them the night before. “Coffee?”</p><p>Rey arched a brow at him. “Where did you go?”</p><p>“I, uh, went for a run.”</p><p>“Poe, this is vacation. Surely, your workout regimen can take a couple weeks off.” She definitely did <em>not</em> need to think about him hot and sweaty.</p><p>He shrugged. “I was up early, and I didn’t want to wake you.”</p><p>She bit her lip. That was actually rather sweet. “Oh. Thanks.” She accepted the mug and took a sip. It was exactly the way she liked it, one cream, two sugars. When had he figured that out? “Breakfast?”</p><p>“On the way actually. I wasn’t sure what you wanted, so I guessed.”</p><p>“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” She threw the covers off and stood, trying not to feel self-conscious in the shorts and tank top she used for pajamas. They sat out on the balcony while they waited for their food to arrive. Neither spoke, but gradually Rey’s discomfort faded. She couldn’t stop thinking about the last time they were out here, his lips warm and soft against hers.</p><p>“Still want to spend the day on the beach?” Poe asked.</p><p>She took another sip of her coffee. “Yeah. Why come all the way down here and not soak up some sun?”</p><p>He smirked. “Good point. Maybe I could find us some chairs.”</p><p>“Oh! Could we put them in the water? Like right where the surf comes in?”</p><p>Her enthusiasm was infectious. “Sure, anything you want.” When their breakfast arrived, Rey had them lay the food out on the balcony. Poe called the concierge to see if they could get some chairs brought to their section of the beach. Like the day before Daniels was all too happy to help. Seeing the pleased grin on her face when he told her was just a bonus.</p><p>An hour later, they walked hand in hand down to the beach. Poe didn’t dare question her when she reached for him; he decided to just bask in his good fortune. The Temple staff set up the chairs exactly as Poe asked; Rey beamed in delight. “My mom and I used to do this when I was little,” she explained as she loosened her cover up and tucked it into her waterproof bag. “She liked to watch me play in the water.”</p><p>“That’s a good memory.”</p><p>She flushed. “Yeah.” She got sunscreen out of her bag. “Wanna help a girl out?”</p><p>“Only if you do me.” He cringed. “I mean my back.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes at him and nodded. He took the bottle from her and bade her turn around. Just like before, he started at her shoulders and worked his way down. This bikini was a deep green and strapless, exposing even more of her skin. Poe swallowed heavily as he worked, dropping the bottle in the sand so he could use both hands. Rey sighed, enjoying his touch far more than she should. She and Rose had gone shopping for new swimwear weeks ago, though at the time, Poe applying sunscreen was the farthest thing from her mind. </p><p>Poe knelt in the sand to reach the backs of her long legs. Her bottoms showed off her ass; he had to force himself not to look. He wasn’t allowed to look; she wasn’t his girlfriend. She was his fake wife for the next week and a half, nothing more. “All done.”</p><p>“Your turn.” Rey accepted the bottle from him as he stood and turned around. Poe whipped his shirt off and tossed it onto his chair; Rey bit her lip as she drank him in. They were almost the same height, but Poe definitely had some muscle on his frame. She squeezed a healthy amount of sunscreen onto her hands and began to massage it into his skin. She worked across his broad shoulders and slowly down his back, fascinated by the way his muscles twitched under her touch. He flinched as her fingers grazed his left side. “What?”</p><p>“Nothing.”</p><p>She wasn’t letting him off the hook that easily. She touched him there again; he grunted and squirmed away. “Oh my god, are you <em>ticklish?”</em></p><p>“No!”</p><p>She giggled. “You so are.” </p><p>“So what?” he huffed.</p><p>“It’s cute.” To prove she meant no harm, she brushed her lips to his bicep. But she <em>did</em> file that information away for later. Then she dropped to her knees with the intention of starting on his legs. Belatedly, she realized this was a mistake because his ass was suddenly in her face. His trunks weren’t form fitting or anything, but <em>still.</em> He filled them out perfectly. How many times had she imagined giving his ass a good squeeze?</p><p>She really needed to get it together.</p><p>“Everything alright back there?”</p><p>Rey flushed, caught. “Yeah. Give me one second.”</p><p>Poe smiled to himself; it seemed he wasn’t the only one affected here. Good. That actually made him feel better, because he was worried it was all in his head. He <em>liked</em> Rey; he had for a while if he was being honest with himself. </p><p>Rey finished with her task and stood up. Poe started to move, but Rey grabbed his arm. “Hold on. I missed a spot.”</p><p>“No, I’m pretty sure you were thorough.”</p><p>“Right here.” Her fingertips grazed the back of his neck. “Could you, um, lift the necklace up a bit?”</p><p>“Sure.” He did as she asked; it only took a few seconds.</p><p>“What’s the ring for?” she asked, hoping she sounded more casual than she felt.</p><p>“It was my mom’s,” Poe said quietly. “Her wedding ring.”</p><p>Rey’s eyes went wide; the use of the past tense was not lost on her. “Oh, Poe, I am <em>so</em> sorry! I had no idea.” Here she’d been chattering away about her own dead mum, and he hadn’t said a word!</p><p>Poe caught her hands. “Hey, it’s okay.”</p><p>“Why didn’t you say anything?”</p><p>“Because you were having a rough night and I didn’t want to make it worse. I don’t really talk about her much.”</p><p>“How old were you?”</p><p>“Same age you were. Eight.”</p><p>Rey bit her lip; she never knew they had that in common. Spontaneously, she hugged him tight. The ring dug into her sternum, but she didn’t care. The Dead Mom Club sucked no matter how old you were. Poe soaked her in; it had been a long time since he talked about his mom. She was an Air Force pilot; she crashed during a routine exercise. They never found out why.</p><p>Rey cradled his stubbled jaw in her hands and brushed a gentle kiss to his lips. “Will you tell me about her sometime?”</p><p>Poe leaned his forehead against hers. “Sure.”</p><p>“No rush,” she promised. She released him and they settled in the chairs. Wet sand squished between her toes as she sat; the incoming surf washed over her feet. “Hmm, that feels good.”</p><p>Poe copied her, surprised by how relaxing it was. They sat there quietly, just listening to the surf lap against the beach. When he reached for her hand, Rey twined her fingers in his without hesitation. The sun beat down on them, but the breeze from the ocean kept them cool. Rey read a book on her Kindle; Poe listened to some music on his phone. After a couple of hours, he got up and went to take a swim. Rey pretended to focus on her book, but a wet Poe Dameron was too much for her to resist. After about ten minutes, she gave up. After tucking it into her waterproof bag, she followed him into the water. </p><p>“Fancy seeing you here,” he teased when he spotted her.</p><p>“Well, I couldn’t let you have all the fun now, could I?” The water was up to her chest; she surprised him by diving under and swimming off. </p><p>“So that’s how it is,” he muttered as he followed. He was a better swimmer, but she had a head start. Every time he got close, she slithered out of his grasp. “Hey!”</p><p>“Nothing wrong with making you work for it!” She giggled and swam off, even though she was tiring. It was worth it to see him bemused <em>and</em> frustrated. </p><p>Poe growled under his breath; god, she was infuriating! This time he waited and watched, trying to figure where she was going, so he could cut her off. She was headed for the buoy; he dove under the water, determined to get there first. Just before he reached it, he reached out wildly, catching Rey around the middle. She let out a shriek as he hauled her against his chest. Poe just grinned. “So, what do I win, sweetheart?”</p><p>Rey pushed on his shoulders, but not hard enough to actually get away. She liked his arms around her too much. “What do you want?”</p><p>The water was just shallow enough that he could stand. Rey wound her legs around his waist; Poe suppressed a groan. He didn’t want her to know how badly she affected him. But she seemed unconcerned, winding her arms around his neck. It took him a moment to find his voice; he couldn’t stop staring. “How about a kiss?”</p><p>“Is that all?”</p><p><em>That</em> was a loaded question. Still, he was determined not to misinterpret any signals. “Dance with me.”</p><p>“Now?”</p><p>Poe chuckled. “No, later. After dinner.”</p><p>“On our not a date?”</p><p>“Exactly. We gotta sell this fake marriage thing, right?”</p><p>“Could be fun.”</p><p>“I promise to make it worth your while.”</p><p>“That’s a big promise.”</p><p>“And I intend to deliver.” He leaned in and captured her lips; she sighed into it. She ran her fingers through his wet curls; his hands settled on her ass. Kissing him was quickly becoming addicting; they didn’t break apart until the current tried to yank the sand out from under Poe’s feet. It was a good thing too because she was perilously close to his crotch, where there was little doubt how badly he wanted her.</p><p>Poe set her on her feet, and they headed back to the beach. He hung back a little so he could calm down; Rey didn’t notice anything amiss, thank god. How was he going to make it another twelve days without giving himself away?</p><hr/><p>Rey sat in front of the mirror evaluating her appearance. Daniels had gotten them a reservation at the upscale restaurant on very short notice; she wondered if that had anything to do with the suite they had. Everyone seemed to be going above and beyond. She’d only brought one dress that could be considered “formal” and even then, she was afraid it wasn’t dressy <em>enough.</em> Not to mention that she wasn’t sure what to do with her hair.</p><p>Why was she making such a big deal out of this? It was dinner with her friend. She’d done this a hundred times. Okay, not <em>alone</em>, but still. As she continued to stare, she realized <em>why</em> this mattered so much. She wanted to impress him. She wanted to demonstrate once and for all that she wasn’t Ben Solo’s little cousin. She was a grown woman having dinner with a very handsome man. Her fake husband. </p><p>How had she gotten herself into this mess?</p><p>A knock caused her to jump. “Rey? Everything okay in there?”</p><p>“Yes!” She grabbed her brush. “I’ll be out in a minute!”</p><p>“Our reservation’s in an hour; take your time.” Poe stepped away from the closed door and tugged on his jacket. He hated the thing, but this was a shirt, tie, and jacket kind of place. Back when the trip had been four people, they’d planned to splurge on a fancy dinner at the <em>end</em> of the trip. One last hurrah before going back to real life. He wasn’t sure what possessed him to want to do the fancy “not a date” this early in their trip, but they were committed now.</p><p>He sat on the couch and flipped on the TV. He was still scanning the channels when he heard the bathroom door open. He shut off the television and stood. </p><p>His jaw dropped. “Oh wow.”</p><p>Rey struggled not to fidget. “Is that a good wow or a bad wow?”</p><p>Poe crossed the room, unable to take his eyes off her. “Definitely good. You look <em>amazing,</em> Sunshine.” The dress was an off the shoulder, dark gray cocktail dress, with intricate embroidery across the top. It hugged her slim frame perfectly. She’d pulled her hair up into an intricate braid that coiled at the base of her neck. It was faintly reminiscent of a style he’d seen her aunt Leia wear. “Can I see the whole thing?”</p><p>“What? You want me to turn around?”</p><p>“Please?”</p><p>She huffed, but she did as he asked. She gave him a slow turn; he caught her arm gently. “The zipper’s not quite all the way up,” he murmured. “May I?” Swallowing, she nodded. When he was done, he kissed her bare shoulder. Rey suppressed a shiver. “Ready?”</p><p>“What, I don’t get to look?” she teased.</p><p>“Just me in a suit, Rey. You’ve seen that.”</p><p>“Ah, ah. Fair is fair.” She twirled her finger in a circular motion. Frankly, she needed a minute before they left. Poe smirked at her, but he complied. He buttoned his jacket and turned around slowly. Rey bit her lip; yes, he looked scrumptious in that suit. Then she frowned. “Poe, do you have…product in your hair?”</p><p>Poe cringed. “Hey! This is a fancy place!”</p><p>“So?”</p><p>“Sunshine…” he started to protest, but she stepped forward and boldly mussed his curls until they were unruly once more.</p><p>“That’s better.”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Yeah.” She brushed a kiss to his cheek. “I think we’re ready now.”</p><p>They still had a little time, so they walked the winding paths to the restaurant. This one was in a part of the resort they hadn’t visited yet. It stood on a man-made hill that overlooked the ocean. The view was spectacular. Rey expected it to be stuffy, but it was anything but. The layout was very open; the low chandeliers—with real candles—gave everything a romantic glow.</p><p>She couldn’t decide if that was good or not.</p><p>Thankfully, they were seated toward the middle of the restaurant. Once again, Poe pulled out her chair for her; she blushed as she sat. “Thanks.”</p><p>“I don’t need my mom coming back to haunt me for being rude to a lady,” he said lightly.</p><p>Rey suspected there was more to it than that, but she let it pass. They ordered some wine while perusing the menu. So many things sounded good; she didn’t know what to choose. </p><p>“You know if this wasn’t part of the all-inclusive package, this would totally be one of those places that didn’t put the prices in the menu,” Poe said, shaking his head.</p><p>“Part of me wants to try everything, but that’s way too much.”</p><p>“If we get different things, I’ll totally let you have some of mine.”</p><p>Rey grinned. “It’s a deal.” So far so good. It wasn’t as awkward as she expected. The waiter arrived with the wine; after pouring their glasses, he left the rest chilling in a bucket. It was very difficult to choose an entree; they wound up asking for recommendations. Orders placed, Poe raised his glass. “Are we drinking to something?”</p><p>“Why not? We’re out together having a nice meal.”</p><p>“Okay.” They clinked glasses and each took a sip. “You know, I’m not usually a big wine person, but this is good.”</p><p>“You know who taught me to pick good wines?” </p><p>“Who?”</p><p>“Your aunt Leia.”</p><p>Rey giggled. “Really?”</p><p>“Yep. My mom and Han flew together.”</p><p>“So that’s why you were friends with Ben.”</p><p>“Kinda got roped into it as a kid. He’s always been…intense.”</p><p>Rey snorted. “That’s one word for it.”</p><p>“Did one good thing though.”</p><p>“What’s that?”</p><p>“Introduced me to his much more fun and beautiful cousin.”</p><p>Rey flushed. “I knew Han flew, but that was before I was born.”</p><p>“He was the best, though my mom gave him a run for his money.” Rey sipped her wine, hoping he would continue. “She loved gardening. We had a little garden that I helped her with. She had a kind word for everyone she met, but she was tough too, you know?”</p><p>“Do you have a picture?”</p><p>“Uh, yeah, I think so.” He slipped his hand into his jacket to grab his wallet. He fished around in it for a minute and extracted a small photograph that was yellowed around the edges. Carefully, he handed it over. “Everyone says I look like Dad, but…”</p><p>Rey examined the picture. It showed a young dark haired couple, clearly Poe’s parents. He <em>did</em> look a lot like his father, but he had his mother’s eyes and wavy curls. It looked like they were at a party; the woman wore a dark green dress that showed off her figure. Her husband gazed at her adoringly. </p><p>“That was Han and Leia’s wedding,” he said quietly. “Dad hid all the photos of Mom that we had…after. I stole this one before it could disappear.”</p><p>“She’s beautiful,” Rey said quietly. She handed the picture back and squeezed his hand. Since they were sharing…she got out her phone and scrolled through her pictures. She’d had most of their family photos digitized ages ago. She found the one she wanted and handed Poe her phone. “That’s my mum, Mara Jade.”</p><p>Poe glanced from Rey to the photo. Rey looked a lot like Leia, but he could see traces of Mara Jade in her. It was in the shape of her eyes and her smile. This woman was <em>happy</em> and wanted the whole world to know it. “Your dad was pretty lucky.”</p><p>Rey chuckled. “They met in college actually. He was doing a semester at Oxford.”</p><p>“So that’s why you’ve got that accent.”</p><p>“What’s wrong with my accent?”</p><p>“Nothing! I like it.” He handed Rey back her phone. Poe liked having another piece of the puzzle that was Rey. He couldn’t believe he’d been friends with Ben Solo most of his life, yet he’d only met Rey a few years ago. Everything he learned just made him want to know more.</p><p>The conversation drifted past dead mothers onto more pleasant topics. Rey could almost forget they were enjoying a meal at a high end restaurant, almost like a date. But they’d been friends for a few years; there was no need for stilted first date stuff. The only real difference was that Poe loved to hold her hand. He would just toy with her fingers while laughing at something she said.</p><p>True to his word, he did share some of his entrée with her. She, however, made the mistake of giving him a bite of hers directly from her fork. That only drew attention to his lips and made her want to kiss him. Damn it.</p><p>“Anything for dessert?” their waiter asked.</p><p>“Rey? Anything for that legendary sweet tooth?”</p><p>She shook her head. “I’m full actually.” She probably could have eaten dessert, but she also felt like she needed some air. Poe’s brow creased in confusion, but he didn’t argue the point. “Hey, I’m gonna use the ladies room. Be right back.”</p><p>“Don’t get lost,” he teased. “You owe me a dance.”</p><p>Right, the dancing part of the evening. She found the ladies room easily enough; it was one of those old school ones with a lounge and a staff member waiting to hand you a towel. She ducked into the stall and forced herself to breathe. She felt like she was on a rollercoaster and not necessarily the fun kind. None of what was happening was helping her long standing crush. One moment he was the funny, gregarious friend she’d always known and the next he looked like he wanted to devour her. She wasn’t even sure he knew he was doing it. Maybe he couldn’t help it? Poe was absurdly handsome; Rey wasn’t the only woman (or man for that matter) who noticed. The lines were starting to blur now. A lot. Was he her friend? Was he something more? Did she want him to be? She didn’t want this to blow up in their faces. She didn’t want to think about a life where their friends had to choose between them because she and Poe were no longer friends. </p><p>But oh, it was heady. To have him all to herself? To be able to hold his hand or kiss him whenever she wanted? Sure, they were “faking” being newlyweds, but just once, she wanted to enjoy something without overthinking it. That always got her into trouble.</p><p>That, more than anything, helped clear her head. She was going to <em>stop</em> overanalyzing every single thing. She was going to enjoy this time with Poe and let the chips fall where they may. It felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. She finished using the facilities, washed her hands, and left. Poe was waiting for her at their table. Rey held out her hands. “Come on.”</p><p>Poe threw his napkin on the table and hurried to follow her. It was cooler outside; Rey shivered. “Here,” Poe said, sliding his jacket off. He moved behind Rey, so he put it on her. </p><p>“Thanks.” They resumed their walk, still holding hands. She bit her lip as she got a good look at him. He’d loosened his tie, but the suspenders were what got her. Was there anything he couldn’t make look good?</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Thank god it was dark. “I didn’t take you for the suspenders type.”</p><p>“Oh. You like them?” he asked slyly.</p><p>She elbowed him. “You trying to lose that dance?”</p><p>“Fine, fine.” Instead of teasing her more, he slipped his arm around her waist. Rey did the same even though her heels made her slightly taller than him. Poe certainly wasn’t going to complain; the heels made her long legs look great. He definitely enjoyed the view.</p><p>They headed to one of the resort bars; this one had live music. It was pretty full when they arrived; a member of the staff took Poe’s jacket before they went inside. It was loud, much louder than Rey anticipated. Poe found them a little standing table, leaving her to watch it while he got them a drink. There were plenty of couples dancing, but Rey spotted some friend groups. That just made her sad that Finn and Rose were missing out. </p><p>“They had a few specialty drinks,” Poe said over the din, sitting a tall glass in front of her. “I hope you don’t mind.”</p><p>“I’m sure it’s good.” Everything else there was top notch; why not the drinks? She took a sip; it was just the right mix of fruit and alcohol. She noticed Poe had something similar. “I swear, you are the first man I’ve met that hates beer.”</p><p>Poe made a face. “It’s nasty!” She laughed; she couldn’t help it. Poe was very particular about his drinks. It was one of his adorable quirks. Poe huffed. “I’m glad I amuse you.”</p><p>She rested her hand on his forearm. “Come on, don’t be like that.” When he didn’t smile, she leaned in and brushed a kiss to the corner of his lips. One brush turned into another and another until their drinks were forgotten in favor of kissing. “What do you think? Are we pulling off the newlywed stuff?”</p><p>Poe smirked and kissed her again; she felt it all the way to her toes. “Hmm, I like to think so.”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Mostly I just want to keep kissing you.”</p><p>She flushed. “I believe you’re owed a dance, Mr. Dameron.”</p><p>“So I am, Mrs. Dameron.”</p><p>Rey tried to ignore the way her belly flip flopped; god, she was being <em>ridiculous.</em> It was all an act for heaven’s sake. That didn’t mean she couldn’t play along. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”</p><p>“Soon, soon.” Poe kept his arm around her as they returned to their drinks and people watched. The band was actually pretty good, though Rey had never heard of them. Some sort of cover band? They played songs from different eras; Rey spoked Poe mouthing some of the words.</p><p>“What’s this? Were you a struggling musician in college or something?” she teased.</p><p>To her surprise, Poe blushed. “Actually, yeah.”</p><p>“What did you play?”</p><p>“Guitar.”</p><p>She <em>so</em> did not need that visual in her head. Perhaps Poe felt like he’d revealed too much, because he took her hand and nodded toward the dancefloor. “Ready for that dance?”</p><p>“Um, sure.” The band slowed the tempo down considerably; Rey swallowed heavily as Poe pulled her close. His hands settled on her waist; Rey wound hers behind his head. A lot of other couples were doing the same, but all Rey could think about was Poe’s solid frame pressed against hers.</p><p>“I’ve wanted this since we got here,” he murmured in her ear. He was telling a small fib. He’d wanted this for a while, but fear of disrupting their friend group caused him to hold his tongue. But he couldn’t get over how <em>right</em> it felt to be holding her like this.</p><p>His thumbs lightly stroking the small of her back were driving her crazy. Was it hot in there all of a sudden? If he just moved his hands a little lower…god, was she really thinking about <em>Poe Dameron</em> touching her in places friends definitely did <em>not</em> typically touch each other? Yes, she was. She couldn’t seem to stop, especially when he looked so roguishly handsome in his suspenders, rolled up sleeves, and loose tie.</p><p>When the song ended, Poe released her, bowed slightly, and kissed the back of her hand. “Thanks for the dance.”</p><p>“Poe…what?” Was that <em>it?</em> She wasn’t ready for the night to end yet. “Just one dance?”</p><p>The disappointment in her voice made his heart constrict. He would have gladly stayed there all night with her, but his control was hanging on by a thread. It was this damn place! He already liked Rey; now he was seeing sides of her that made him want <em>more</em>. But he didn’t want it to be an act. He wanted it to be real. He wanted <em>her.</em> He couldn’t let them get caught up in the moment and do something they might regret later. He couldn’t do that to her or himself.</p><p>They both deserved better.</p><p>“Big day tomorrow,” he reminded her. “Early shuttle.”</p><p>Rey deflated. She’d completely forgotten. They were going to explore more of the island, do a little shopping. “Right. Shuttle.” </p><p>They picked up Poe’s jacket on the way out; Poe gallantly placed it on her shoulders once more. They walked hand in hand back to their suite, but Rey couldn’t help feeling a little sad. She felt like they could be on the cusp of something, but neither of them was quite ready.</p><p>The question was: what was she prepared to do about it?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rey threw the thin blanket over her head; she didn’t want to wake up yet. Not when she was having such a good dream. Resolutely, she closed her eyes and tried to sink back into that happy place, but she soon realized it was lost. Sighing, she steeled herself to get up. “Poe?” she called hopefully.</p><p>No answer. Again.</p><p>This was the fourth day in a row she’d woken up alone. She thought that after teasing him about the early morning running, he’d settle into the lazy vacation life. No such luck. Each of the last three mornings, she woke up to find him already gone. He always came back with a steaming cup of coffee from the Village Kitchen, but that wasn’t what she <em>wanted.</em></p><p>Things between them had been…different since their dance. If she didn’t know better, she’d <em>swear</em> Poe was avoiding her. First, it was the early morning runs. The day after the dance, they took a shuttle into the little town of Bleku to do some sightseeing and shopping. Typical tourist stuff. And while Poe played the role of adoring husband—holding her hand, brushing kisses to her cheek, looking at her like she hung the moon—something was missing. It was like he was there, but <em>not</em> there, if that made any sense. Every time she tried to coax a little fire out of him, he would just smile sadly and kiss her hair.</p><p>The next couple of days were more of the same. They visited the adults only pool, they ate meals together (though nowhere near as fancy), they did one of nature hikes. On the hike, Rey tripped on an obscured tree root; Poe caught her before she could face plant in the dirt. He checked her over attentively for injuries. It was the most he’d touched her since the dance. She scraped her hand and her elbow trying to break her fall, but she didn’t even feel it. All that mattered was the way her heart raced when he was close. She searched her memory, trying to think what she’d done wrong.</p><p>She felt him drifting away and she hated it.</p><p>Part of her thought she was being ridiculous. They weren’t together. This was an act to get some perks while on vacation. He was her friend. But the way he kissed her (back when he did that) wasn’t friendly. Sure, there were quick brushes of lips to appease anyone watching, but it hadn’t felt like an act those first few days when he kissed her any time he wanted. Now, he barely touched her. Maybe it <em>was</em> her fault. Maybe she’d pushed him further than he wanted to go. If that were true, she wished he would just <em>tell</em> her. She didn’t want to lose their friendship. She could handle having an unrequited crush. Even though she now had an idea of what being with him would feel like, she could be an adult and salvage her dignity.</p><p>This feeling of limbo hurt more than anything.</p><p>Frustrated, she got up and went to shower. For the third day in a row, she stood under the hot spray for a long time, trying not to think. </p><p>Poe heard water running as he entered the cottage. Good, Rey wasn’t waiting for him. He was later than he liked; he liked greeting her with coffee when she got up. She must have slept in a little bit. He set her cup on the desk and went to sit out on the balcony. They still had some time before the shuttle left. They were visiting the fishing village on the far end of the island; it was supposed to have the most authentic native made wares on the island.</p><p>As long as they stayed away from beaches or pools, he would be fine.</p><p>He felt awful. He didn’t like this feeling that settled in his chest. When he closed his eyes, he could still see the hurt expression on Rey’s face when he declined another dance. While he thought he’d done it for the right reason, he’d been second guessing himself every hour since then. He tried to pretend nothing had changed, but he suspected Rey wasn’t fooled. </p><p>How had things gotten so messed up?</p><p>Nights were the worst. Each night they started on their own side of the huge bed, but he always woke up to her curled around him. Before, he would have joked about her using him as her own personal heater—she was notorious for getting cold easily—but he didn’t want anything he said to be misconstrued. It felt like he was walking on eggshells with her and he hated it. But what if he said something and she <em>didn’t</em> want him the way he did her? He wasn’t used to not going after what he wanted. But this wasn’t just anyone. It was <em>Rey.</em> If something went wrong between them, more than one bridge would be burned.</p><p>He wasn’t ready to take that risk.</p><p>He heard the bathroom door open, but he didn’t look. Bare feet padded through the cottage then out to the balcony. “Morning.”</p><p>Rey sat in the chair across from him, sipping her coffee. “Morning.”</p><p>Silence reigned for ten minutes before Poe broke it again. “So maybe when we get back, we could try the burger joint tonight?”</p><p>Rey frowned. “You want <em>burgers?</em> You can get them at home.”</p><p>“I know, but this place is supposed to be good.”</p><p>“Says who?”</p><p>Poe drummed his fingers on the table. “A journalist. Her name’s Zorii. She’s writing a review of the resort for one of the big bridal magazines.”</p><p>“Good for her.”</p><p>“I met her the other day on my run,” Poe continued. He felt like he needed to explain. Sure, Zorii was pretty in an Upper East Side kind of way, but he wasn’t attracted to her. They’d passed each other on his run the other day (which he was only doing to work out some of his nervous energy, so he didn’t do something rash with Rey). When she found out he was in the <em>honeymoon suite,</em> she started peppering him with questions for her article. It seemed harmless enough to Poe, though he did have to get a bit creative to answer some of her questions. “She’s nice.”</p><p>“Maybe you should go to the bar with her.” Rey got up and went back inside, leaving Poe confused. So, he got up and went after her.</p><p>“And just what is that supposed to mean, Sunshine? Why would I want to go to a bar with someone I just met?”</p><p>“Don’t you Sunshine me, Poe Dameron. You want to go on a date, then just <em>go.”</em></p><p>“Rey, I’m here with <em>you.</em> I don’t even like Zorii!”</p><p>“You just said she was nice!” Rey clenched her fist; she didn’t even know why she was so angry. It wasn’t like Poe was her husband. He wasn’t even her boyfriend. This whole thing was <em>fake.</em></p><p>“Daniels is nice too, but I don’t want to date him!” Poe shouted. <em>I want to date you.</em> There. He’d finally admitted it to himself. He wanted Rey to be his girlfriend. “I’ve only talked to her twice. All we talked about was this damn place. And <em>you.”</em></p><p>“Me?”</p><p>“Of course, you. God, you’re all I’ve been able to think about since we got here.” </p><p>Rey stared at him with wide eyes. It sounded too good to be true. It wasn’t some grand declaration, but it was hope. Hope that she wasn’t the only one whose feelings were evolving. She would take it. It was enough. For now. She dropped her empty coffee cup and closed the space between them. Before Poe could say another word, she cupped his cheeks and kissed him the way she’d needed to for three days. Poe wrapped his arms around her and pulled her flush against him; she sighed happily as his tongue slid past her lips. </p><p>The fabric of her sundress bunched under his wandering hands. His lips trailed along her jaw and down the column of her throat; her breathy moan went straight to his cock. She tugged on his t-shirt, trying to coax him to the couch. He obeyed her, walking them there slowly because he didn’t want to stop kissing her. It felt like he was coming up for air after being underwater too long. Rey quickly settled in his lap, grinning wickedly before she attacked his neck with her lips and teeth. Poe cupped her ass, torn between slowing things down or just throwing caution to the wind. She was straddled over his thighs; any second she’d realize just how badly she affected him.</p><p>“Rey…”</p><p>“Hmmm?” She moved higher, drawing his earlobe between her teeth. Poe rewarded her with a deep guttural groan. His hands tightened on her ass; she shivered with pleasure. She wanted him to touch her everywhere, ease the persistent ache between her thighs. She rolled her hips…oh. <em>Oh.</em> She buried her face in his neck as she moved against him, seeking friction with the <em>very</em> prominent bulge between her legs. So, he <em>did</em> want her.</p><p>“Oh fuck.” Poe bit his lip, torn between stopping her and letting her do whatever she wanted. Only her thin panties and his shorts separated them; he could feel her heat.</p><p>A sharp knock got their attention. Rey whined in complaint, but Poe called out. “What do you want?”</p><p>“Just a reminder that the shuttle leaves in thirty minutes, sir! Will you be needing assistance?”</p><p>“Shit.” Poe rested his hands on Rey’s thighs. “Sunshine…we gotta go.”</p><p>“Do we?”</p><p>Poe swallowed. He wanted what she wanted, but not like this. And not so soon after shouting at each other. She meant more to him than that. He pressed a sweet kiss to her lips. “I’ve been an ass the last few days,” he confessed. “Let me make it up to you. Please?”</p><p>The earnest pleading in his eyes melted her. She was helpless against those warm brown eyes. “Okay.”</p><p>After assuring the staff member they were fine, Poe went to take a quick shower and change his clothes. Rey smoothed out the wrinkles in her sundress and waited. Knowing Poe wanted her changed things. She <em>definitely</em> wanted him. She just had to convince him it was a good idea, a risk worth taking. But how?</p><p>Poe was all smiles when he emerged from the bathroom. Rey waited for him by the door, her small bag slung across her body. She sighed happily when he pressed a tender kiss to her lips. “Ready?”</p><p>“Yep.” They had to cut through the small orchard to get to the car park in time, but they did make it. Poe didn’t let go of her hand the whole time; when they took their seats, his arm casually rested on her shoulders. Rey smiled at him; she was thrilled to have their report back. She’d missed him, even though he was there the whole time. She missed <em>this</em>, the small touches that made her feel safe and cherished, like she was the most important thing in the world to him.</p><p>Poe blinked when she rested her head on his shoulder. Things had been so stiff and awkward between them the last couple of days, he hadn’t realized how much he relished her in his arms. What did it mean? Had anything changed? His feelings for her certainly hadn’t changed. Were they dating? Were they friends? Friends with benefits? Poe cringed inwardly at that. Obviously putting some distance (however half-hearted it had been) between them only made them both miserable. But could they give into the tension between them and not get burned? As much as he wanted her, he didn’t want to ruin their friendship if they weren’t on the same page. He didn’t think he could have a casual fling with her. He just wasn’t wired that way.</p><p>The drive lasted almost an hour; Poe had to shake Rey awake when they arrived. “You’re certainly getting your rest on this trip, Sunshine,” he teased.</p><p>She grinned at him. “Maybe I need it because I won’t be sleeping much later.”</p><p><em>Oh.</em> Poe bit his lip as he followed Rey off the shuttle. He wasn’t sure how to respond, so he kept his mouth shut. It was one thing to flirt with her when it was just a game. But it wasn’t anymore. Not to Poe anyway.</p><p>Rey noted the stunned look on his face; she bit her lip. Okay, so maybe she needed to dial it back a bit. Who’ve thought Poe Dameron would be the one to hesitate when it came to intimacy? It didn’t jive with the guy she knew. Perhaps she didn’t know him as well as she thought. Or he’d been keeping a part of himself hidden from her. But why? <em>Maybe for the same reason you did,</em> she thought. Maybe she just needed to show him that it was okay. That she was all in.</p><p>She took his hand. “Hey, you okay?”</p><p>He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I’m great.”</p><p>“Make sure to meet back here by 4:00!” their driver announced. “We want to get everyone back to the resort in time for dinner.”</p><p>They walked hand in hand into the town. Just at first glance, Rey could tell this was a much more affluent town. Of course, affluent was relative. Many of the homes in Bleku were cobbled together from whatever the owners could scrounge up. The tourism industry was helping, but it would be a while until that wealth reached the average person. Rey had been charmed by the people; she made a point of buying things made by the locals wherever she could. It was something her father instilled in her. Here in Koima the buildings were more solid, made from cement blocks and tin roofs. </p><p>Poe was content to follow wherever Rey led. The shuttle dropped them off at the waterfront, but they didn’t stay there long. When Rey wanted to explore, Poe learned to simply follow. They passed children playing in the streets, mothers and grandmothers hanging up clothes to dry, old men gossiping on stoops. Poe smiled to himself; this could have been the neighborhood his dad grew up in. </p><p>“What is that smell?”</p><p>Poe sniffed the air. “No idea, but it smells good.” They turned the corner and saw a food truck. “Whaddya say? Should we try it?”</p><p>“Sure.” They got into the line and examined the menu. Many of the items were seafood, which made sense. Rey decided on some grouper marinated in a secret sauce, while Poe got shrimp skewers. Rey took a bite of hers while Poe paid; it melted in her mouth. “Oh my god.”</p><p>“Good?”</p><p>“You have to try this.”</p><p>The man running the truck grinned out at them. “Your lady has good taste,” he said. </p><p>Poe laughed. “I hope so. Thanks!” They moved away so other people could order; Rey practically shoved her fork in his mouth. It was spicier than he expected, but he loved spicy food. “Damn, that is good.”</p><p>“Right?” They found a low wall nearby to sit on; they wound up splitting their food. Poe tried not to read too much into it as they fed each other bites, but that didn’t stop him from kissing her senseless when they were done.</p><p>“What should we do now?” Poe asked.</p><p>Rey considered their options. It was after two already. “We should check out the shops.”</p><p>“Good idea.” They were just a few blocks from the waterfront, so there was no hurry. Poe was content just to walk with her. How could she think he’d want someone else? He remembered vividly the first time he realized how beautiful she was. He’d known her for a few years, but in more of a tangential way. But when she showed up at her aunt’s annual Halloween party three years ago, he felt like he’d been struck by lightning. She’d come dressed as Athena, goddess of intellect and war. She carried a shield and a spear. He almost didn’t recognize her, then her hazel eyes lit up when she saw him. That was when he realized he was in trouble.</p><p>He met Finn and Rose that night too. He spent almost the entire evening hanging out with them rather than Ben, who spent most of his time glowering at people from his corner. It was the most fun he’d had at one of the Solos’ parties in years. </p><p>They walked right past the overtly touristy shops; neither had any interest in t-shirts emblazoned with “Solarine” or trinkets. They were there for the more unique items. </p><p>“Should we split up?” Rey asked. “Cover more ground?”</p><p>“I don’t know…”</p><p>“Poe, I’m a big girl. Remember that time Ben thought he would show off to his minions by trying to sneak up on his unsuspecting cousin?”</p><p>Poe laughed. “You had him on his back in less than two seconds.”</p><p>She grinned, pleased he remembered. “See? I appreciate the chivalry, but I got this.”</p><p>“Did you just refer to me as one of Ben’s…minions?” He blanched; had he ever been cruel to her? He couldn’t remember.</p><p>She kissed his cheek. “No, you were one of the good ones.”</p><p>“Thank god.”</p><p>Her brow knitted in confusion. “You were really worried about that, weren’t you?”</p><p>He flushed. “I’ve done things I’m not proud of; I just hoped I’d never done anything to you. But I was young and stupid then, so who knows?” He tried to laugh it off, but given the way he felt about her, it was tough.</p><p>“Honestly, I didn’t think you knew I existed,” she confessed. “Until I went to college, we almost never visited Han and Leia. Like I said, I was a bit of a nerd, so I kept to myself, even when I did visit.”</p><p>“Oh, I noticed. How could anyone not notice you?” He trailed his fingers along her jaw and gently tipped her chin up. Rey sighed as he kissed her, slow tortuous sweeps of his tongue that made her weak in the knees. She grabbed his shirt, struggling to remain upright. Neither cared that they were on a public street in a strange town. All that mattered was the hunger than boiled beneath the surface.</p><p>Rey broke the kiss first, her lungs burning. She panted for air, leaning against Poe for support. God, he could kiss. She felt a buzz all the way to her toes and all he’d done was kiss her.</p><p>“Still think I didn’t notice?”</p><p>Rey huffed a laugh. “I stand corrected.”</p><p>He brushed a soft kiss to her lips. “Meet back here in an hour?”</p><p>“Okay.” She wasn’t sure she could think let alone shop, but she would do her best.</p><p>Poe waited until she slipped into the first shop before going off to do his own shopping. Now that he and Rey were…whatever they were doing, he wanted to get her something special. Not anything too romantic, but something that would remind her of this time they had together. He searched three different shops and came up empty. He continued down the street, but none of the other shops had anything worthwhile.</p><p>“Looking for something?” an old wheezy voice called out.</p><p>Poe turned. A woman dressed in a weathered sundress and shawl sat behind a makeshift jewelry display. There were two tall trunks open behind her with supplies, while her wares laid out in front of her on trays. “Um, maybe?”</p><p>“You don’t know?”</p><p>“My, uh…the person I’m here with. I was looking for something for her.”</p><p>The old woman’s eyes lit up. “She’s special?”</p><p>“Yeah. Pretty special.”</p><p>“Then you must look at my things! All handmade.”</p><p>Poe looked down at the trays, not wanting to be rude. Everything was made from obsidian. Not really a surprise; it was one of the island’s greatest resources. There were earrings, bracelets, rings (he skimmed right past those, he had one already, thank you very much), and necklaces of all lengths. He skimmed over them until one caught his eye. </p><p>A perfect sphere, the pendant hung from a leather cord. He looked at it more closely. It wasn’t completely black; there were some colors shining through, greens, blues, and golds. It reminded him of Rey’s eyes, the mysterious hazel that changed color in the light. “May I?” he asked. When the old woman nodded, he picked up and examined it. The cord seemed sturdy enough, as did the setting.</p><p>“You like it?”</p><p>“Yeah. The question is: will she?”</p><hr/><p>Poe checked his watch again; Rey was late. If she didn’t hurry, they were going to miss the shuttle. He patted his pocket; the necklace was tucked into the deep pocket of his shorts. He just couldn’t resist it. He had no idea when he would give it to Rey, but he hoped the right moment would present itself. He would wait another two minutes and if Rey wasn’t there, he was going to look for her.</p><p>“Poe! Fancy seeing you here!”</p><p>Poe turned; Zorii Bliss walked toward him, a couple of bags in her hands. “Didn’t think you’d be allowed to shop.”</p><p>“These are never just work trips, Poe,” she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “You here alone?”</p><p>“No, I’m just waiting for Rey.”</p><p>“Oh. Will I finally get to meet the infamous Mrs. Dameron then?”</p><p>Poe shrugged. A glance at his watch told him the two minutes were up. “She’s late; I think I’m gonna go…”</p><p>“Poe! I’m coming!”</p><p>He whirled around; Rey was laden with even more bags than Zorii. “Wow, Sunshine. Did you buy the whole store?”</p><p>Rey rolled her eyes at him. The bags just looked like a lot; most of her purchases could be construed as fragile, so they were wrapped up tight. Her biggest purchase was being shipped to the resort; it was too awkward to carry. Plus, it was a surprise for Poe. She tucked a few bags into the bigger one; it took her a moment to realize Poe wasn’t alone. The woman was roughly Rey’s height, around Poe’s age, with delicate features and green eyes. “Who’s your friend?”</p><p>Zorii pushed forward with her hand outstretched. “Zorii Bliss, Mrs. Dameron. Feature writer for the Theed Bridal Guide.”</p><p>Rey had to put her gift laden bag down to shake Zorii’s hand. “Nice to meet you. Please call me Rey.”</p><p>Poe stepped in before things could get awkward. “Well, uh, we should get going. Shuttle’s waiting.”</p><p>“Oh, we should all ride together!” Zorii exclaimed. She was far too peppy for Rey’s taste. “I hired a car to bring me here; no need for you to ride in that cramped shuttle.”</p><p>“No, we’re fine. Thanks, Zorii.” Poe slipped his hand into Rey’s and started walking.</p><p>But Zorii was persistent. “Hold on, before you go, my editor would have my head if I didn’t get an interview with the two of you for my review. Always better to get the newlyweds’ perspective.”</p><p>“We’ll think about it,” Rey said shortly. She looked thunderous, so Poe didn’t argue the point. He thought Zorii was harmless if pushy. But something about her clearly set Rey off.</p><p>They made it back to the shuttle just in time. Rey was oddly quiet on the drive back; Poe didn’t press her. Since Rey had so many purchases, Daniels (who seemed to be there whenever they needed him) arranged for a cart to take them to the cottage. The moment they were inside, Rey shoved him against the wall and kissed him breathless. He was too surprised to protest; besides, it wasn’t like kissing her was a chore. </p><p>He loved it far too much.</p><p>“Not that I’m complaining,” he breathed when they came up for air, “but what was that about?”</p><p>“Did I miss the memo where we took kissing off the table, <em>Mr. Dameron?”</em></p><p>“No memo.” He carded his fingers through her hair. “Just curious.”</p><p>“Do I need a reason to kiss you?”</p><p>“Nope.” He couldn’t get another word out before she was kissing him again. This time they moved over to the couch where Rey wound up in his lap again. His hands were halfway up her thighs when he pulled away. “Rey…Rey…wait.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“You’re not here, sweetheart.”</p><p>“What the hell does that mean?”</p><p>“It means…just now and…earlier…Zorii set you off. And I know part of this is my fault because I suggested this stupid fake married thing to begin with…”</p><p>“Poe, I don’t understand.” She fought to control her face; did he not want her? She’d been <em>so</em> sure…</p><p>He gently cupped her face. “Hey, hey, listen to me. I meant it when I said you’re all I’ve thought about since we got here. Why do you think I’ve gone running every day since that first time I woke up with you in my arms?”</p><p>Rey bit her lip. If he wanted her, then why was he pushing her away? “Poe, what are you saying?”</p><p>He sighed. “I guess I’m saying that…I don’t want this to be a mistake. I don’t want some island fling that we regret later. I like you, Rey. And I’ve imagined being with you longer than I should probably admit, but I want it to be for the right reason. I want you <em>here</em> with me and not because you’re jealous of someone else.”</p><p>Oh. Truthfully, she hadn’t considered what would happen when they left here. She was caught up in the magic of this place. But she could see Poe’s point. Jumping into bed with him like this would be wrong. Embarrassed, she started to slide off his lap. “I didn’t mean for you to go.”</p><p>“But Poe…”</p><p>“Rey, the only reason I’ve been distant is because I want you <em>too</em> much. You make me lose my good sense.”</p><p>“And that's a bad thing?”</p><p>“With you? Always.” He smiled. “All I’m asking for is a little bit of time. Let’s drop the fake married bullshit and go out on a real date. Maybe even two.”</p><p>Rey frowned. “You’re not one of those no sex until the third date people, are you?”</p><p>Poe laughed. “No, but maybe we should count the other night as our first date?”</p><p>She giggled. “I can work with that.”</p><p>Poe coaxed her to sit beside him, tucking her into his side. She rested her head on his shoulder, but her hand snuck under his shirt with her fingers lightly caressing his stomach. “Sunshine…” he said warningly.</p><p>“I’ll be good,” she promised. “For now.” But she was confident that sooner or later, she’d get what she wanted. What they <em>both</em> wanted. And it would be worth the wait.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rey looked from the rock wall to Poe. “This might be the strangest date I’ve ever been on.”</p><p>“You clearly have had terrible luck then,” Poe said with a teasing grin. He slipped his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. He had to admit it was nice to <em>not</em> pretend anymore. Though if Poe was being truthful with himself, he hadn’t been pretending since their first kiss back at the fort. That was why faking it hurt so much. He <em>wanted</em> to do cheesy couple-y things with her. </p><p>Starting with a real date.</p><p>“It’ll be fun, I promise.”</p><p>“Okay, but I’m picking the next activity.”</p><p>“That’s fair.”</p><p>She already had something in mind, but she wasn’t sure Poe would go for it. First, she had to survive this rock wall. Another young staffer got them their climbing harnesses and showed them how to use them. Poe had no trouble with his harness. “You’ve done this before?” Rey asked.</p><p>He snapped one of her straps into place. “A couple of times. I’m not an expert or anything.” He frowned at her. “You’re not afraid of heights, are you?”</p><p>“What? No, no. Nothing like that.”</p><p>“We can do something else…”</p><p>Rey grabbed his hands. “Poe. Relax. I’m not going to bolt if every moment doesn’t go perfectly, okay?”</p><p>Poe chuckled. “I’m not usually this neurotic on dates, I swear. It’s just…well, it’s you, and I’ve wanted this for a long time and…I am rambling, so I’m going to shut up.”</p><p>“How long?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>They were holding up the line a bit, so Rey tugged him aside. “You said you’ve wanted this for a long time. How long?”</p><p>“Remember Halloween three years ago?”</p><p>“Three years…oh. I went as Athena.”</p><p>Poe grinned sheepishly. “Yep.”</p><p>“And you were a fighter pilot. I remember.” </p><p>“The helmet was my mom’s.”</p><p>How could this man have ever been friends with her insufferable cousin? It just didn’t compute, despite her early interactions with him back in college. This was a side of him she’d only gotten glimpses of before. It made her sad that they might have wasted time. She liked this Poe. A lot. She leaned in and kissed him. “Better late than never then?”</p><p>“Agreed.”</p><p>They rejoined the other climbers and listened to the final instructions. Rey was a little nervous, more due to not wanting to make a fool of herself than anything else. She was in pretty decent shape; it didn’t look difficult. “Last one to the top picks this year’s Halloween costumes?” No reason they couldn’t make this interesting.</p><p>Poe’s face lit up. “You’re on.”</p><p>They each secured their harnesses to the line, then reached for the nearest hand holds. <em>One grip at a time,</em> Rey thought to herself as she started to pull herself up. It was awkward at first, but slowly she got into a rhythm. She was so focused on herself that she wasn’t paying attention to Poe. When she looked for him, he was already fifteen feet ahead of her and climbing steadily.</p><p>Which also gave her a <em>spectacular</em> view of his ass.</p><p>
  <em>Holy shit.</em>
</p><p>After a few seconds, she gave herself a good shake. This was so not the time to be ogling him. This was supposed to be a competition! And Rey liked winning, even when the prize was something so frivolous. She resumed climbing, determined to catch him.</p><p>Poe glanced over his shoulder to make sure Rey was alright. He was surprised how far behind she was. “Rey? You okay?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m good!”</p><p>The steepness changed as he climbed higher, forcing him to slow down a bit. Five minutes later, he was surprised again by Rey, who was nearly parallel to him. “Looks like you’ve got the hang of it!”</p><p>Rey grinned. “See you at the top!”</p><p>“Hey!” Poe shouted as she started pulling herself up faster. He’d let her distract him! Annoyed with himself, he followed her, determined to win their stupid bet. They were neck and neck the rest of the way, with Poe winning by virtue of being taller. That couple of inches gave him enough reach to leverage himself over the top just in time. He was hot, covered in sweat, and panting, but he won. He turned to look at Rey. “You were amazing, Sunshine.”</p><p>She arched a brow at him. “I lost.”</p><p>Poe shrugged. “We could call it a draw.”</p><p>She scooted closer and rested her head on his shoulder. “I can be gracious in defeat.”</p><p>Poe slipped his arm around her waist. “That might be a first.”</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p>“Says the woman who’s downright <em>ruthless</em> at Monopoly.”</p><p>“You’re never invited to game night again.”</p><p>“That would be awkward now, wouldn’t it?”</p><p>She scoffed. “I’d think of an excuse.” She nuzzled his neck; even hot and sweaty, he smelled good. “Besides, losing has other perks.”</p><p>“Like what?” Suddenly he felt her hand on his ass; he suppressed a groan. “You spent the whole climb staring at my ass, didn’t you?”</p><p>“Not the <em>whole</em> climb.” She brushed her lips to his. “But enough.”</p><p>His self-control hung by a thread; Rey seemed intent on testing him. So far, he was winning, but he knew it wouldn’t last. He tilted her head back and captured her lips in a needy kiss. “Naughty girl.”</p><p>She grinned. “You have no idea.”</p><p>They followed rock climbing with an early dinner at the Village Kitchen. Once again, Rey stole bites from his plate, but he thought she was adorable. “How should we spend the evening?” Poe asked as they waited for dessert.</p><p>“I did have one idea.” She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of glossy paper. It was the list of daily activities. Down in the bottom right corner, she had something circled. “Couples trivia?”</p><p>“Yeah!” Rey said brightly. “Like a ‘how well do you know your partner’ kind of thing.”</p><p>“Oh.” He looked down at it again. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, we haven’t been, um…” Dating? Was that what they were doing now? </p><p>“We’ve been friends for a while,” she pointed out. “Surely that counts for something?”</p><p>“Well, yeah, but…”</p><p>Her face fell. “Nevermind. It was a stupid idea.”</p><p>“No. It’s not stupid. But what if…Rey, everyone here thinks we’re married.”</p><p>“So, we make some stuff up. I bet there won’t be anything too revealing. Unless you’re scared?”</p><p>He forced a laugh. “Scared? Of a trivia game? Hardly.”</p><p>“Please?”</p><p>He couldn’t resist her when she looked at him like that. “Okay.”</p><p>She screeched happily and hopped down so she could kiss him. The game started in a couple of hours, so they went for a walk along the beach, watching the sunset and making up some stories to go with potential questions that could be asked. Rey walked through the surf barefoot, carrying her sandals in her hands. Poe pulled out his phone and surreptitiously snapped a photo. She was beautiful in the soft light.</p><p>“Hey, you okay?” Rey asked.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m good.”</p><p>“You looked…wistful?”</p><p>“Just admiring the view, Sunshine.”</p><p>Rey flushed. “I guess that’s allowed.”</p><p>“Didn’t know I needed permission.”</p><p>She closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You don’t,” she whispered in his ear. “You can do whatever you want with me.”</p><p>Poe settled his hands on her hips and pulled her flush. “You enjoy teasing me, don’t you?”</p><p>She grinned. “It is kinda fun.” She wondered how far she could push him before he snapped. She knew the anticipation would be worth it.</p><p>“We should head back if we’re gonna do this trivia thing.”</p><p>Being in Poe’s arms was better than any stupid game; Rey nearly called the whole thing off. But it was her idea. And it <em>would</em> be fun, even if they failed miserably and got a good laugh out of it. She brushed a quick kiss to his lips before they walked back toward the middle of the resort.</p><p>“Poe! Rey!”</p><p>They turned and saw Cassian and Jyn approaching. “Hi! You guys doing the trivia thing too?”</p><p>Jyn rolled her eyes, but Cassian nodded. “Couldn’t resist. How have you been?”</p><p>They talked about some of the activities they’d done while they waited to sign up. The kid in charge couldn’t have been more than twenty, but he looked even younger. He wore a crisp white shirt with an orange vest. “Each of you fill one of these out and then return them to me. We’ll call you when it’s your turn to play.”</p><p>“Um okay.” Poe took the quizzes and pens; Rey got them a booth. There were already some other couples. Young, old, and every age in between. Cassian and Jyn got the table nearest them; it was good to have one familiar face.</p><p>“What kinds of questions are these?” Poe asked as he read over the quiz. There were twenty questions each. The first few were about trivial things like: “What’s your favorite color?” or “What food do I hate?” Then there were some potential awkward ones like: “Do you think that women and men can just be friends?” and “How do you define romance?”</p><p>“Don’t worry,” Jyn said. “You two are still in the honeymoon phase. Some of these you only learn with time.”</p><p>But for Poe, that was kind of the problem. They weren’t in <em>any</em> phase. Poe wasn’t sure he’d call what they were doing right now as dating in the strictest sense. First, they were friends, then they were pretending to be married, which led to lines getting blurred. Poe liked Rey a lot. He wanted to be with her. <em>Which you could have been already if you weren’t so damn stubborn, </em>he thought. It was one thing to be noble and it was another to deny them something they both wanted simply because he was afraid of the consequences. </p><p>Rey squeezed Poe’s hand. “Hey, relax,” she said softly. “Your favorite color is orange. You’re a dog person. You played the guitar in college. And the ring around your neck belonged to your mom.”</p><p>Poe squeezed her fingers. “Thanks, Sunshine.”</p><p>“See? We’ve got this.” She was a bit nervous about the quiz too, but she decided it was a risk worth taking. They were in proverbial paradise, away from all the baggage that held them back. Here they could simply be Poe and Rey, two people who really liked each other and wanted to be together. It didn’t have to be more complicated than that, not if they didn’t let it.</p><p>Rey offered to hand in their sheets to the host, then she ordered them a couple of drinks at the bar. “A little liquid courage?” she quipped, setting the tall glass in front of him.</p><p>“Who says I need courage?” Poe countered. Rey slid into the booth beside him; her hand came to rest on his thigh. He swallowed. “Are you always this…forward?” He wasn’t really complaining, but he was still getting used to allowing himself to think of Rey like <em>that.</em></p><p>Rey grinned. “One of us has to or we’re just doing to keep dancing around each other.”</p><p>“And we wouldn’t want that,” he quipped.</p><p>Her lips touched the corner of his mouth. “Poe, everything back home, everything going on in that handsome head of yours…none of it matters. We are here. Right now. I don’t want to miss our chance. Do you?”</p><p>He shook his head. “No. But what if…”</p><p>She cut him off with a finger to his lips. “I am all in, Poe. I am right here. And I want to be with you.” She leaned close, her breath hot against the shell of his ear. Her hand slid between his thighs; Poe had to bite back a groan as her fingers stroked him through his shorts. “I want to be with you in every way <em>either</em> of us can think of.”</p><p>His jaw clenched; it felt like she was trying to kill him. He couldn’t remember ever being so turned on. “Fucking hell, Sunshine,” he hissed.</p><p>She kissed his cheek. “I can’t wait.”</p><p>Poe’s heart hammered in his chest as she pulled her hand away. Thank god for the table or he would have been <em>very</em> embarrassed. He chugged down half of his drink in one gulp, then he took <em>several</em> deep breaths. Rey looked completely unapologetic and he kind of hated her for it. But then again, she’d been trying to get him quit overthinking everything and just <em>be </em>for days now<em>.</em> And he did want her. He wanted her so badly he couldn’t <em>think.</em> And maybe that was the point. Maybe he’d just been fooling himself because he was scared. It wasn’t <em>Rey</em> that was holding them back. It was him. </p><p>“Rey.”</p><p>She took a sip of her drink and met his eyes. “Yeah?”</p><p>“Just so you know…I’m all in too.”</p><p>She was tempted to just grab his hand and leave right then, but the MC for the trivia stepped onto the stage. Everyone clapped politely as he told a few lame jokes. Poe slipped his arm across Rey’s shoulders and she settled back against his chest. </p><p>“Thank you! Thank you, everyone!” the MC called. “My name is Lando and I am your host for this event! Since we are nearing the most romantic day of the year, we decided it would be fun to test your knowledge regarding the one you love! Now here are the rules: I have here,” he waved their quizzes, “the answers. I am going to call you up in groups of three. Each partner will be asked a series of questions about the other. The couple with the most correct will move to the second round. Then we have something <em>special</em> planned.”</p><p>“Can’t even imagine what that could be,” Poe whispered in Rey’s ear. She giggled and took another sip of her drink.</p><p>There were a total of twelve couples participating. Jyn and Cassian were among the first to be called up. Rey wished them luck as they passed. Lando was very…enthusiastic; Poe thought he flirted with the couples at little <em>too</em> much. More than one contestant left the stage blushing after one of Lando’s cheesy lines.</p><p>“Lay it on a little thicker,” Poe complained in the middle of the second set of couples.</p><p>Rey snorted. “What? You’ve never resorted to cheesy lines?”</p><p>“You tell me, Sunshine.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes at him, pretending to scoff. That didn’t stop her from smiling to herself as he brushed a kiss to the shell of her ear. They cringed, awed, laughed with the rest of the crowd as the round went on; the winning pair had nine correct answers out of ten. </p><p>Then it was their turn. </p><p>Rey wove through the tables and chairs, Poe right behind her. When they got on the stage, they settled in the set of chairs closest to Lando. The older man smiled at Rey; she smiled back nervously. Poe took her hand and brushed his thumb across her knuckles, which soothed her. The lights were almost blinding; it took a few minutes for her eyes to adjust.</p><p>“Ah, our last round contestants!” Lando exclaimed. “And just who is this handsome pair to my left?”</p><p>Poe picked up the microphone at his feet. “I’m Poe and this is my wife, Rey.”</p><p>“Quite a beauty you have there, Poe! How long have you been married?”</p><p>Rey took the microphone. “We’re on our honeymoon actually, but we’ve been together for three years.” It wasn’t something they hadn’t discussed previously but it sounded right to Rey. They’d known each other longer, but three years ago was when she could say their friendship truly began.</p><p>“Wonderful!” Lando moved onto the other couples; Poe arched a brow at Rey, but she shrugged. A few minutes later, Lando’s focus was back on them. “Let’s start with the newlyweds! Rey, is Poe a morning person?”</p><p>Oh, that was easy. “Definitely a morning person. He’s gotten up to run every morning we’ve been here. But he always brings me coffee.” She smiled sweetly at him while several of the crowd swooned.</p><p>“That is correct!” Lando flipped his handmade card. “Now, Poe, what is Rey’s favorite season?”</p><p>Rey’s hand tightened in his; that hadn’t gone over this one. In fact, Poe was pretty sure Rey had never mentioned it in all the years he’d known her. But he <em>knew</em> her, knew she liked green, growing things. She had plants all over her apartment. So, he took a guess. “Spring.”</p><p>“Correct!”</p><p>Rey let out a sigh of relief. Poe leaned in by her ear as Lando moved on to the next couple. “See? No problem.”</p><p>“They won’t all be easy.”</p><p>“We’ll see.”</p><p>It took about ten minutes for the questioning to come back to them. “Poe, let’s start with you this time. What is Rey’s <em>least</em> favorite thing about you?”</p><p>Poe blinked. “Oh. Um…” He thought for a moment. “Stubborn. She thinks I’m too stubborn.”</p><p>“Correct again! Rey, my dear, if your handsome husband were a superhero…what would his superpower be?”</p><p>She didn’t even have to think. “Flying.”</p><p>“Our newlyweds are in the lead this round, ladies and gentlemen! We should watch out for them!”</p><p>Poe wanted to ask her how she knew that, but she just smiled at him and touched the ring that hung from his neck. Okay, so that was obvious. He grinned at her and brushed a kiss to her temple. The next round didn’t go quite as well. Rey got the question on how they met, but Poe missed the question about how many kids Rey wanted. When Lando moved on to the next couple, they were both blushing and unable to quite meet each other’s eyes. <em>Just two more rounds,</em> Poe thought. If they bombed, then they could have a good laugh about it and return to the cottage to see where the evening took them.</p><p>They did better the next round, answering both questions correctly. Rey filed the information she’d gleaned about Poe for later; she was sure it would come in handy sooner or later. The couple on the opposite end of the stage seemed on the edge of a meltdown; they’d only gotten three correct so far. “You’d think this was life or death,” Rey said softly.</p><p>“You don’t think your partner should know you better than anyone else?” Poe asked, equally quiet.</p><p>“I didn’t say that. But this is just a game. And the questions are kinda arbitrary. I mean, there are things about me that not even my family knows.”</p><p>“That makes sense.”</p><p>“But I’m looking forward to learning more about <em>you,”</em> she teased, squeezing his knee.</p><p>He wanted to retort, but it was their turn again. “Poe,” Lando said, “where was your first kiss?”</p><p><em>About five days ago in an abandoned fort,</em> he thought, fighting to keep his face neutral. Fortunately, they did come up with a version of the truth, just in case this question was asked. “Um, I believe it was at one of her dad’s dig sites. New Mexico, I think?”</p><p>Lando glanced down at his card. “That…is…<em>correct</em>, sir! Alright, Rey, for the win…” He paused for dramatic effect. “How does Poe prefer to show affection?”</p><p>She didn’t need to look further than their joined hands for the answer. It was something she’d known about him for a while but being the sole object of his affection for the last week gave her a new appreciation for it. She hadn’t realized how much she craved the touch of someone she cared about. She held up their hands. “Touch.”</p><p>“Well, you don’t need me to tell you that is correct,” Lando drawled. “Looks like we have our winners! Poe and Rey, everyone!” The whole room cheered; Cassian whistled. Feeling a bit silly, they waved back. Blessedly, the lights went down and Lando appeared. “Why don’t you two lovebirds take a little break, get a drink, and celebrate? But don’t go too far, we still have our very special second round!”</p><p>“Sounds good.” They stepped off the stage and walked over to the bar to get another round of drinks. </p><p>This time Jyn and Cassian were waiting in their booth when they returned. “I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it myself,” Cassian declared. “You two really know each other well!”</p><p>Poe smiled at Rey. “We do, don’t we, Sunshine?”</p><p>“Yeah. I mean, being friends helps.”</p><p>“Being friends <em>first</em>,” Poe corrected. “Rey’s cousin and I were friends from childhood.”</p><p>“Aw, that’s so sweet!” Jyn said.</p><p>Rey shook her head. “Oh no, Poe and I didn’t meet until I was in college. I didn’t, um, visit my family often.” She took another sip of her drink.</p><p>“Dark and broody type,” Poe continued. “The cousin, not Rey, obviously. I mean, there’s a reason I call you Sunshine!” He kissed her temple. He felt a bit giddy from winning. Or was it the drink? Or perhaps it was just <em>Rey.</em> She was intoxicating all by herself.</p><p>“And here I thought you did that just to torment me.”</p><p>“No! It’s a play on your name! Rey, ray of sunshine? Get it?”</p><p>She pushed his drink away and cupped his cheeks so she could kiss him. “Yeah, I got it.”</p><p>“All the best romances are based on friendship,” Jyn said wisely. “Isn’t that right, Cassian?”</p><p>Cassian was caught off guard; his glass was halfway to his lips. “Yes! Yes, of course.”</p><p>Lando called the winners back to the stage. “Sorry, gotta go,” Rey apologized.</p><p>“Good luck!” </p><p>Poe and Rey took their seats, along with the winners from the other two rounds. The fact that they made it this far seemed insane, but Rey certainly wasn’t going to complain. She was too competitive for that. Since she’d lost the previous bet with Poe, she wanted them to win.</p><p>“Alright! We’re going to play a little truth or dare! You only get to choose one! If you choose truth, you must get the correct answer to stay in the game. If you choose dare, you must complete the dare…and the crowd will be the judges! Does everyone understand the rules? Fantastic!”</p><p>Poe looked at Rey, who shared the same mixture of dread and excitement that he felt. Since they were going in the order they’d won in, Poe and Rey went last. The first couple chose truth…and got the question wrong. The second couple also played it safe and chose truth. They got their question right.</p><p>“Poe and Rey…” Lando began.</p><p>“Dare,” Rey said clearly.</p><p>“Sunshine…are you sure?”</p><p>“Of course, I’m sure.”</p><p> “Very well,” Lando said, cutting off Poe’s chance to argue. He reached into a hamster wheel filled with little strips of paper and pulled one out. “Give your partner a lap dance.”</p><p>Poe’s eyes widened. A lap dance? In front of all these people? He opened his mouth to protest again, but Rey was already on her feet. “A little music?”</p><p>The DJ in the corner switched to a song with a tortuous steady beat. Suddenly Poe was hyper aware of what Rey was wearing…very short shorts that highlighted her long legs and a thin tank top. It had been perfect for their climbing date. </p><p><em>Okay, you can do this,</em> Rey thought. She’d never <em>actually</em> done a lap dance, but she’d watched <em>Magic Mike</em> a few times with Rose. How hard could it be? The most difficult thing was blocking out everyone watching. Instead, she focused on Poe. And on how everything since they got on the plane seemed to be leading them here. She saw him wet his lips; she smirked down at him. Slowly, she started rolling her hips. She felt a bit silly at first but focusing on the music and Poe blocked everything else out. She leaned over and spread his knees apart so she could kneel between them, grinding her ass against his crotch. She heard him moan softly; she bit her lip as his hands rested on her gyrating hips.</p><p>He was going to go straight to hell. Seeing Rey <em>move</em> in that outfit and feeling her against him, even through their clothes…it was the most exquisite torture. He couldn’t <em>not</em> touch, so his hands slid over her ass and her hips. He didn’t let go until she spun around and straddled his lap, leaving no doubts about how hard he was. She stared into his eyes, which reflected the need he felt. He needed her. Now.</p><p>She was about to kiss him when the music stopped. They snapped out of their trance, flushing beet red. Poe held her as Rey buried her face in his shoulder. Lando was speaking but Poe wasn’t even paying attention. All that mattered was Rey. “I think we should get out of here,” he whispered.</p><p>“Yeah, we should.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Leaving was easier said than done. It turned out Rey’s dare won them the entire competition. There was a trophy ceremony, then Cassian tried to coax them into another round of drinks. They managed to arrange a raincheck for that, but it was still almost an hour before they could start the walk back to their cottage. Poe kept Rey’s hand firmly in his with their trophy tucked under his other arm. They kept stealing glances at each other, smiling knowingly when caught. The air around them crackled with pent up longing and anticipation; Poe was impressed they made it back to the cottage without incident.</p><p>Rey fished out her key to open the door; Poe couldn’t resist leaning in and brushing his lips to skin her tank top left exposed. Rey bit her lip as she fumbled with the key. “Damn it.”</p><p>“Problem?” Poe drawled.</p><p>“I got it.” She slid it in and twisted; the door popped open. She didn’t even have a chance to turn on the lights before Poe had her pinned against the side table, his lips finding hers in the dark. She mewled as she kissed him back, his hands holding her possessively.</p><p>“That…was…” Poe began before Rey cut him off with another needy kiss. The fruity drinks he’d consumed lingered on his tongue as she sucked on it greedily. “Rey.”</p><p>“Hmmm?”</p><p>“God, the way you <em>moved…”</em></p><p>She groaned as his hands cupped her ass and squeezed. “I showed you mine,” she purred. “Maybe you should show me yours.”</p><p>“I’m not sure you could handle it,” he teased, bathing her neck in kisses. The faint smell of the ocean clung to her skin; his fingers inched under her tank top.</p><p>“Oh, now you have to,” she breathed, finally giving into her desire and squeezing the firm globes of his ass. “I want my dance, Poe.”</p><p>“What do I get if mine’s better?”</p><p>“So cocky, Dameron.”</p><p>He thrust his hips into hers, letting her feel how much he wanted her. “You have no idea, sweetheart.”</p><p>Rey was already a bit lightheaded—both from the drinks and Poe. God, she’d wanted him for such a long time. She wanted to savor every moment of this. She tugged lightly on his earlobe and whispered, “You get me. Any way you want. <em>Every</em> way you want.”</p><p>Poe groaned, her words going straight to his groin. “I hope you weren’t planning on sleeping tonight.”</p><p>She shivered. “I’m gonna hold you to that.”</p><p>“Good.” He forced himself to step back. “Go out to the balcony and have a seat.”</p><p>She frowned for a moment, confused, but if that was what he wanted, then she was in. She was definitely intrigued. The cooler evening air felt good on her skin; it cleared her head a little. She wasn’t drunk; she’d been careful not to overindulge at the bar. She was done dancing around what they felt; she didn’t want being drunk to be an excuse for why they shouldn’t.</p><p>Poe’s heart pounded as he silently counted to a hundred. As much as he wanted this, he thought they could both use a moment to clear their heads. No matter what Rey said, this would change things for them. It certainly would for Poe. It may not have a label, but once they did this, there was no going back. </p><p>For the first time, he wasn’t afraid. He was excited.</p><p>He took a few moments to find the song Rey had danced to, queuing it up on his phone. He left his shoes behind as he started walking out to the balcony where Rey waited. She was beautiful in the soft moonlight, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger. She stopped the moment she saw him, giving him a pleased grin. “Hey.”</p><p>“Hey.” Poe set his phone on the table and pressed play. Rey’s smile widened when she realized what he’d done. He smiled back at her as his hips started to sway. He saw her inhale sharply and draw her lip between her teeth. “Now, a few days ago, I made you a promise,” he said softly, still moving to the beat. “And I didn’t quite live up to it. Which was completely my fault.” He didn’t want to be something she regretted, so he tried—and failed—to put some distance between them. No more. Poe was taking what he wanted. What they both wanted. Slowly, he drew his shirt over his head and tossed it aside.</p><p>“Poe, what…” But he cut her off with a kiss.</p><p>“Ah, ah. My show, sweetheart.” His shorts were gone next, leaving him in his tight boxer briefs. He saw Rey swallow as she got a better look at him. He was half hard again; it wouldn’t be long until she <em>really</em> got to see him. </p><p>Rey’s breathing was shallow; she could hardly believe her eyes. Poe’s hips moved sensuously in front of her. He circled her chair, occasionally leaning down to brush a kiss to her skin. Once he was in front of her again, she spread her legs, silently inviting him closer. He obliged with a smirk, his ass once more in her face. This time, she didn’t hesitate, grabbing him firmly with both hands. Poe groaned, her touch exactly what he’d dreamt of. He continued to move, grinding his hips into hers as she fondled him.</p><p>Arousal burned under her skin; she swore she’d never seen anything as sexy as Poe dancing. She whined when he moved away, only to gasp when she saw the thick bulge in his briefs. <em>Oh dear god.</em> She’d had a bit of an inkling before, but <em>Jesus.</em> Her core clenched in anticipation. Poe spotted her gaze and leaned over her chair, his hands braced on the arms. “Something wrong, Sunshine?” he purred in her ear. He was practically straddling her thigh now, still rocking his hips in a steady rhythm. She couldn’t form <em>words</em>; her brain felt like it short circuited. “You wanna touch? You can touch.”</p><p>Rey wet her lips and brought her fingertips to his chest. She touched him the way she’d imagined since they arrived, tracing the well-defined muscles. Poe’s pleased sigh made her smile. She moved lower, skimming the flexing muscles of his stomach and hips. He wasn’t dancing so much now and grinding against her, but neither of them cared. He moaned and jerked as her thumbs pressed firmly against the ridge of his clothed erection. “Sunshine,” he breathed. “Rey…fuck.”</p><p>She grew bolder, cupping him and squeezing gently. “You gonna claim your prize, Poe?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“You win. Now would be the time to claim your prize.”</p><p>“Hmm, I think this is a prize we both win, sweetheart.” He lifted her bodily onto the table and moved between her splayed thighs. Rey gasped as he captured her lips in a needy kiss. She grabbed his neck and held him there while he ground against her clothed core. She was already wet and aching; even like this he felt good. She rocked against him, desperate for more friction. “Fuck, Rey.”</p><p>“Need you,” she breathed, not slowing down. “Need you to make me come. God, please!”</p><p>Poe cursed, torn between taking his time and giving her what she needed so badly. And he wanted to see her fall apart for him. Over and over and over again. He reached for her shorts. “We need these off.”</p><p>Rey nodded, bracing her hands on the table so she could help him get her shorts off. The denim got tossed aside quickly, then her panties. Rey chewed on her lip as Poe dropped to his knees; the table left her at just the right height. He spread her legs gently, pressing a kiss to her inner thighs. He locked his eyes on hers, silently asking for permission, which she granted with a jerky nod. Poe started slowly, petting her with featherlight fingertips. He kissed her swollen clit; Rey nearly jerked off the table. Her breath grew short as her lover got bolder, teasing her with brief nibbles and licks of her aching flesh. </p><p>“So fucking wet for me,” he growled into her skin as he lapped at her. He imagined this often, but reality was better. She was sweet and smelled delicious. Every little gasp and moan made his cock twitch; he could only imagine how incredible she would feel around him.</p><p>“Poe,” she whined, her head falling back.</p><p>“God, I’ve wanted you for so long, Rey,” he murmured. He continued to tease her clit with his tongue while easing two fingers inside her. She whimpered, trying to grind against him. One of her hands sank into his curls and pulled him closer. He obeyed her silent command, sucking her clit between his lips and pumping his fingers into her steadily. Her walls started to flutter; she let out a wail as she climaxed. Poe worked her through it, relishing everything about her. </p><p>Blood rushed in her ears as pleasure seared her veins. “Oh my god.”</p><p>Poe stood, smirking at her before licking his fingers clean. The sight made her squirm in a good way. She grinned as Poe pulled her up, his lips crashing against hers. She tasted herself on his tongue, which only fueled her need. This wasn’t over until they were both exhausted and sated. She threaded her fingers through his curls, her back arching as his lips moved to caress her throat. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured.</p><p>“Bed,” she panted. “Take me to bed.” She yelped as Poe scooped her up and carried her the short distance to their bed. He laid her out in the middle of it; Rey sighed in pleasure as he licked and kissed his way up her body. When he got to her waist, she sat up and crossed her arms, slipping the thin tank top over her head. Poe’s dark eyes drank her in hungrily as she reached behind her and unclasped her bra, quickly tossing it aside. She expected to be more nervous, but it was impossible when Poe looked at her like that. She leaned in before he could move, fusing her lips to his. A grunt caught in his throat as she pushed at his shoulders, forcing him onto his back. His hands slid over her skin as she straddled him; Rey whimpered. “God, that feels good.”</p><p>“This?” Poe trailed his fingers across her ribcage and the underside of her breasts. He could hardly believe he was <em>finally</em> touching her the way he always wanted to. His thumbs brushed her nipples; she moaned softly. Encouraged, he kept going, stroking and circling the sensitive buds until they were hard points begging for his mouth.</p><p>Rey bit her lip as she rocked in his lap, the firm ridge of his cock rubbing her clit. She was probably ruining his underwear, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t wait to have him inside her. “Tell me you’ve got condoms,” she panted. Poe pushed himself up and sucked one of her nipples into his mouth. Rey reached for him wildly, holding him against her as sparks of pure need shot to her core. “Fuck, fuck…Poe, I…” His fingers dipped to her core, teasing her clit as she continued to grind in his lap. <em>Another</em> orgasm overtook her, sharp and hot; she shuddered in his arms, hardly recognizing the keening cry that fell from her lips.</p><p>“Never going to get tired of that,” Poe said, kissing the skin directly over her racing heart.</p><p>She could still feel him hard beneath her. “Are you gonna fuck me now?” she panted.</p><p>“Two orgasms and still so demanding,” he teased, skimming his hands over her ass.</p><p>She rolled her hips over his erection; Poe groaned. “I want you,” she whispered, breath hot on his ear. <em>“Inside me.”</em></p><p>“Drawer under the bed,” he growled.</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>“Condoms. This is the honeymoon suite, sweetheart.”</p><p>“Oh. Right.” She scrambled off his lap to go find the drawer. While she did that, Poe yanked off his ruined underwear, leaving him nude. Rey bit her lip; fuck, he was gorgeous. She quickly found the drawer and lifted out an entire <em>box</em> of condoms. </p><p>Poe laughed as she extracted one and tossed the box onto the desk behind the bed. “Think we’re gonna need all those?”</p><p>“You never know.” She squealed as Poe tackled her to bed, kissing her deeply. “I’m surprised you didn’t have any.”</p><p>Poe couldn’t stop touching her; she was so soft and perfect. “This was supposed to be a trip with friends,” he reminded her. “Didn’t think I’d be getting lucky.”</p><p>Rey scoffed. “Please. People have been drooling over you since we got here.”</p><p>Poe smiled like the cat that ate the canary. “Guess I didn’t notice. My attention was on the most beautiful woman on the island.”</p><p>Rey felt her cheeks heat; she distracted him by kissing him. Poe shifted his leg between hers; instinctively, she started to seek friction. “Poe…please.” She wanted him so badly and for so long; she couldn’t wait anymore. </p><p>“Wanna do the honors?”</p><p>Rey giggled, but she very much did. With Poe once again on his back, she deftly took him into her hand and pumped him a few times. His eyes rolled back in his head as he bucked into her hand. “Like that?”</p><p>Poe let out a breathless chuckle. “Oh yeah.”</p><p>She bent over and brushed a kiss to the swollen head, then she tore open the foil pack and rolled the condom on. “How do you want me?”</p><p>“Too many ways to count,” he said honestly. He reached up and cupped her cheek, coaxing her lips to his. They kissed lazily, their bodies becoming entwined. Soon, Rey was on her back with Poe in the cradle of her thighs. She moaned as he rolled his hips into hers, fresh arousal soaking her core. “Ready for me, Sunshine?”</p><p>She clutched at his shoulders. “God yes.” She spread her legs wider, welcoming him. He captured her lips in another hungry kiss as she guided him to her; Rey arched under him as he pushed inside. A soft cry fell from her lips, the thick slide of him heavenly. “Oh my god.”</p><p>Poe braced his body weight on his forearms, remaining still so she could adjust. This was why he coaxed two orgasms from her before taking her; she needed the preparation. She was so tight; he groaned as she adjusted her hips to allow her to take the last couple of inches. “Fuck, Rey.”</p><p>Rey skimmed her hands down his back and squeezed his ass. “Move,” she pleaded. “Poe, I need you to <em>move.”</em></p><p>He was helpless against her, rearing back and thrusting back in. She cried out, but she locked her ankles behind his back, not letting him get away. He swallowed more of her delicious cries with needy kisses; he savored every single whine, whimper, and moan that fell from her lips. She held him against her as he fucked her into the mattress, his cock filling her completely. “Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop,” she chanted softly.</p><p>“You feel so good, sweetheart,” he breathed. “So good.”</p><p>She cupped his cheeks and kissed him, the wet slide of his tongue mimicking his cock. Her hands wandered his hard body, trying to memorize this moment. This time when she got to his ass, she squeezed. Hard. Poe growled, snapping his hips hard against hers. “Rey…”</p><p><em>“Yes,”</em> she hissed, his pubic bone striking her clit. “Fuck, just like that, Poe. <em>Please.”</em></p><p>“Fucking hell.” He did as she asked, taking her with faster, harder strokes. Within moments she arched under him, her blunt nails digging into his shoulders as she climaxed. Poe held out as long as he could, her tight clenching walls quickly dragging him with her. He buried his head in her shoulder as he came, his body shuddering above hers.</p><p>Rey missed him the moment he rolled off her; she rolled onto her side to snuggle close. Just for a minute before she had to run to the bathroom. Poe wrapped an arm around her, still panting for breath. “Wow.”</p><p>“Good?”</p><p>Poe shook his head in disbelief. “Way better than good.” He kissed the crown of her head. “Bathroom?”</p><p>Rey sighed. “Yeah. I’ll be right back.”</p><p>“Not like I’m going anywhere.” As she dashed off for the bathroom, he dealt with the condom and tossed it in the trash. He also adjusted the blinds so they weren’t bombarded with sunshine early in the morning. </p><p>He had a feeling tomorrow would be one of the few days they didn’t leave the cottage.</p><p>Poe had the bed turned down by the time she returned. She thought about grabbing her pajamas, but that would be pointless. That was only round one. She was nowhere near done with him. Poe seemed to agree; she noticed he was naked under the thin blanket. He welcomed her back with a kiss. “Hey.”</p><p>“Hey yourself.”</p><p>Like so many other nights, they laid on their sides facing each other. Only this time, their hands wandered under the blanket. “Tired?”</p><p>“Nope.”</p><p>“Me neither.”</p><p>Rey reached out and traced the line of his jaw. “You’re not gonna get weird now, are you?”</p><p>“Define ‘get weird.’”</p><p>She licked her lips. “I don’t know. Start overthinking? Do some dumb noble thing because you’re you?”</p><p>“I don’t think I’m the only one guilty of overthinking, Sunshine.”</p><p>He did have a point. “Let’s make a deal then.”</p><p>“I’m listening.”</p><p>She wrapped her arm over his waist. “I meant it when I said I was all in. Nothing matters right now except us. So…how about for the rest of this trip…no talk about after we leave. We just enjoy the sun and the sand and the…”</p><p>“Sex?”</p><p>Rey blushed. “Well, yeah. That was good, right?”</p><p>“That was amazing.”</p><p>The soft tender look in his brown eyes made her heart skip a beat. She leaned in and brushed her lips to his. “We clearly suck at <em>pretending</em> to be together, so let’s just be together. On vacation.”</p><p>“And have lots of sex?”</p><p>“Exactly. Like a…sex-cation.”</p><p>Poe laughed. “And maybe go on a few dates?”</p><p>“I’m sure we could squeeze some in. Though I’m pretty happy right here.”</p><p>“Hmm, I am too.” Being with Rey was all he wanted. But they still had a week. A week in paradise before the real world came rushing back. And if he’d learned anything over the last few days, it was that plans went awry. And that could be a very good thing. He found her lips again, kissing her soundly. She pulled him close, more than willing to warm up for round two.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She woke up alone. Rey’s heart sank as she buried her nose in Poe’s pillow. It still smelled like him, earthy and rich. Where was he? Had he changed his mind already? After last night, she couldn’t see how he <em>could</em>. It was certainly a night she wouldn’t forget. Poe kept his promise, keeping them up until the sun started to peek over the horizon. She distinctly remembered him spooning her from behind as they fell into an exhausted, sated slumber.</p><p>“Poe?” she called hopefully.</p><p>“Out here.”</p><p>She sighed in relief. He was still there. She slipped from the bed and found his discarded t-shirt on the floor. She pulled it over her head and padded out to the balcony. His back was to her as he stared out at the ocean; he had a towel wrapped around his hips. Rey pressed her lips to his shoulder blade and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Morning.”</p><p>Poe covered her hands with his, smiling to himself. “Morning.”</p><p>“You really are a morning person, aren’t you?”</p><p>He chuckled. “Most of the time, yeah. But it’s almost two in the afternoon, sweetheart.”</p><p>“Oh.” </p><p>“I didn’t want to accidentally wake you, so I came out here.”</p><p>She rested her cheek against his warm back. “I thought you might have changed your mind. When I woke up alone.”</p><p>Poe winced inwardly. Though after all his hemming and hawing over the last couple of days, he couldn’t really blame her for thinking that. “I really did just want to let you sleep. We had a late night.”</p><p>She smiled. “We certainly did.”</p><p>Poe turned around, groaning when he realized she was wearing his shirt. It barely covered the tops of her thighs. “You know, I didn’t peg you for a clothes stealer,” he said, settling his hands on her hips.</p><p>She shrugged. “There are a lot of things about me you don’t know yet,” she replied, sliding her hands up over his chest and neck. Her fingers toyed with the curls at the nape of his neck, taking in the more than day old stubble that shadowed his jaw. She liked it.</p><p>“Hmm, that sounds like a challenge.”</p><p>“We can play twenty questions later,” she replied, leaning closer. “I want something else first.”</p><p>“What’s that?”</p><p>“This.” She pressed her lips to his, humming as he pulled her closer. She loved the way she fit against him; their similar heights meant he didn’t have to stoop. She pressed herself against him as he deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth thoroughly. His wandering hands caused her borrowed shirt to ride up, exposing her ass to the warm sun. She moaned as he cupped the soft globes and squeezed. “Poe.”</p><p>“Hmmm?” He kissed a wet path along the column of her pale throat, worrying a mark into her skin where neck met shoulder. “Wasn’t this what you wanted, sweetheart?”</p><p>She had just wanted a kiss, but if he wanted more sex, she wasn’t going to complain. “Yes, please.”</p><p>Poe chuckled and promptly picked her up. She let out a surprised screech until he set her down on the balcony railing. It wasn’t that tall—waist height—which was perfect for what he wanted. Rey clung to his neck as he captured her lips in another hungry kiss. His fingers slid between her legs, stroking her swollen flesh. Rey groaned, trying to rock against him. “Fuck, that feels good.”</p><p>Rey hitched one of her legs over his hips, which quickly loosened his towel. It dropped to the ground with a soft thud, but they ignored it. Rey curled her hand around his straining erection; Poe cursed loudly. “Rey.”</p><p>She kept stroking him; it was deliciously naughty to be doing this outside. Their cottage was secluded but sound carried. And it was broad daylight. “Condom,” she panted. </p><p>“Right.” Reluctantly, he let her go and dashed back inside. The box was wide open on the desk; he snatched a foil pack out and ran back out. Rey was exactly where he left her, only she was touching herself. “You’re trying to kill me, Sunshine,” he groaned, stepping back between her legs.</p><p>Rey laughed and pulled him in for a wet kiss. “Maybe I just like to watch you run around naked.” She plucked the foil pack from his fingers and guided his hand between her legs. He continued to tease her while she went to work on the condom. Once it was on, Poe yanked her to the edge of the railing and slid home. Rey cried out, relishing the way he filled her. She was far from a blushing virgin, but no one had ever felt this good. She locked her heels behind his back as he fucked her right there on the railing. She kept her hands braced on the other edge, her back arched in pleasure.</p><p>Poe cataloged every little sound that tumbled from her lips; she certainly wasn’t shy. They hadn’t seen anyone along their stretch of beach in days but knowing that anyone could wander by and know exactly what was happening only made this more intoxicating. Poe pushed her borrowed shirt up to reveal her chest; he ducked to suck on one of her bouncing nipples. “Oh <em>shit,”</em> Rey whined, grabbing his hair. She twisted her fingers into his curls, holding him there while he slowly drove her insane.</p><p>“Come for me, sweetheart,” he panted. “Wanna feel you.”</p><p>His mouth latched onto her other nipple, sucking hard, and Rey keened as her climax rippled through her. Wave after wave rocked her, her walls gripping his plunging cock. He grunted, his hips jerking, once, twice, before going still as he spilled himself into the condom. Rey wrapped her arms around him, brushing her lips to his damp forehead as they came down from their highs. It was an unexpectedly tender gesture, but he wasn’t going to question it.</p><p>“Think anyone heard that?” Rey whispered.</p><p>Poe chuckled. “Maybe. Do you care?”</p><p>She shook her head. “Not even a little bit.” What was the point of a sex-cation if they weren’t going to enjoy each other? She kissed him sweetly. “Bathroom.”</p><p>“Right.” He stepped back and helped her down. Her legs shook a little; Poe tried not to look smug, but he was certain he failed. “I’ll order us some room service while you’re in there. Any requests?”</p><p>“Nah. I trust you.”</p><p>Poe got dressed while he ordered them a late lunch. He didn’t think the staff would appreciate him answering the door naked. Rey must have had the same idea because she returned dressed in an oversized t-shirt that had “University of Oxford” emblazoned on the front and a pair of panties. </p><p>“Did you go to Oxford? Or was that…”</p><p>“Dad got it for me for Christmas a few years ago. I think he hoped I would go to Oxford, but it was a bit too stuffy for me. Plus, all my family are in the States.”</p><p>Poe patted the couch beside him; Rey sat with her feet tucked under her. “What about your mom’s family?”</p><p>“My grandparents died before I was born. She was an only child.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>“I’ve never asked Dad, but I think having me was an accident.”</p><p>“Rey, don’t say that.”</p><p>“No, I don’t mean they didn’t <em>want </em>kids. I just think I came along earlier than they expected. Mum was an archeologist too; did I mention that? She went on every dig. I found the pictures of them together. They looked so happy. But then I came along and let’s just say it’s hard to take an infant to a dig site.”</p><p>“What happened?”</p><p>“Mum took a full-time academic job. Sometimes, in the spring, we would sit together on the campus mall. I would play while she graded papers.”</p><p>“I guess that explains all the plants in your apartment.”</p><p>Rey smiled, pleased he remembered that. He’d only been to her place a couple of times. “I know it might seem dumb, but…”</p><p>He kissed her temple. “It’s not dumb at all.”</p><p>Rey rested her head on his shoulder. “Alright, your turn.”</p><p>“For what?”</p><p>“Tell me something about you that I don’t know.”</p><p>“Oh.” He had to think. “I got arrested when I was sixteen?”</p><p>Her head shot up. “For what?”</p><p>“Technically, I didn’t steal the car. I was borrowing it.”</p><p>Rey arched a brow. “Borrowing it from whom?”</p><p>He sighed. “Fine. It was a dare, okay? I was in this terrible band with some guys from school and we had a bit too much to drink…anyway, one of the guys…his dad was a cop. We thought it would be funny to take the car for a joyride.”</p><p>Rey burst into giggles. “Oh my god. What happened?”</p><p>“We—well, <em>I</em> ran a red light. Unmarked cop car pulled us over because the lights weren’t on. Since I was driving, I got the worst of it.” Poe shuddered, recalling the look on his dad’s face when he came to the police station. “I thought Pop was gonna murder me.”</p><p>“Well, I’m glad he didn’t.”</p><p>Poe grinned. “Yeah?”</p><p>She rolled her eyes at him, but that didn’t stop her from kissing him. It wasn’t her fault his lips were addicting. They were still kissing when their food arrived. Poe ran his fingers through his hair to tame it while he went to get the door. He wheeled the cart of food in himself, kicking the door shut behind him.</p><p>“They’re going to start thinking we’re rude,” Rey mock scolded as he laid their meal out on the table.</p><p>“Well, this <em>is</em> the honeymoon suite,” he pointed out. “I bet they’re used to couples wanting some privacy.”</p><p>“Until last night we weren’t using the suite the way most couples do.”</p><p>“Good thing we are now, huh?”</p><p>She flushed, still a little surprised at how easy this was. They were both so scared of messing things up, but flirting just seemed to be an extension of their usual banter. Perhaps they’d been flirting the whole time, only neither noticed. That made her smile.</p><p>“What’s that for?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>He made a circular motion with his hand. “That giddy smile on your face.”</p><p>“Oh.” She touched her hot cheeks; she was <em>still</em> grinning. “Just, uh, happy, I guess?”</p><p>His smile was soft, but his eyes were bright. “I am too, Sunshine.”</p><p>Lunch, as usual, was delicious. Rey opened up more about her childhood, places she traveled with her dad. Poe was impressed; he insisted on seeing some of her work. Reluctantly, Rey pulled up her portfolio on Poe’s phone; it was mostly photos she’d taken for her dad. The money she earned as an intern on her dad’s digs helped put her through college. </p><p>“Wow, Rey.” Poe flipped through the photos again. “These are really good.”</p><p>She shrugged. “Dad got me some great equipment.”</p><p>“I think you’re underestimating your skills.”</p><p>“It’s a fun hobby.”</p><p>“Has Leia seen these?”</p><p>“Probably. Why do you ask?”</p><p>“Because I’m wondering why she’d make you her assistant rather than marketing or something.”</p><p>Rey wrinkled her nose. “Oh, I couldn’t do that. Besides, I like working with Leia.” She and her aunt had become close in the last couple of years. Rey admired her a lot. Her aunt and uncle were the happiest couple Rey knew, despite their playful bickering. </p><p>“She offered me a job once.”</p><p>“Why didn’t you take it?”</p><p>Poe shrugged. “I guess I wanted to make my own way. Han and Leia were really there for us after Mom died. She always went out of her way to do ‘mom’ things for me. But I got the feeling Ben resented it, so when the job came up, I decided to go a different way.”</p><p>“Ben resents the whole world, not just you,” Rey said stoutly. “Sometimes, I think he really <em>hates</em> me.”</p><p>“No one could hate you, Sunshine.”</p><p>Rey crossed her arms. “He does. Why do you think he’s always so nasty to me?”</p><p>“Because he’s an asshole. Let’s not talk about Ben. It’s depressing.”</p><p>“Fine by me.” She glanced outside; it was dusk. “Hey, wanna go for a walk?”</p><p>“Um, sure.” </p><p>Rey dug a pair of shorts out of her bag and slipped on her sandals. Poe thought they would walk on the beach, but it seemed Rey had other ideas. She led them toward the main part of the resort, her hand firmly in his. “You know,” he said, bumping her shoulder playfully, “I’m surprised you wanted to leave the cottage.”</p><p>“Why not? It’s a beautiful night.”</p><p>“It is,” he replied, still looking at her. “But…”</p><p>She blushed. “Hey, you were the one who wanted to squeeze in a few dates.”</p><p>“Is that what this is? A date?”</p><p>“Yes,” she decided. “A walk under the stars isn’t a date where you come from?”</p><p>“Can’t say I’ve ever been on that kind of date.”</p><p>“Well, there’s a first time for everything.” She brushed a kiss to his stubbled cheek and tugged on his hand. “Come on.”</p><p>It was dark now; the path was illuminated by lights embedded along the edges of the sidewalk. There were other people who had the same idea, some couples, some families. There were plenty of people still at the pools too. She didn’t have a destination in mind; they simply walked, sometimes commenting on people they saw. They also stopped to admire more of the art, which Poe was surprisingly knowledgeable on.</p><p>“Where’d you learn that?” Rey asked.</p><p>“Art history in college. I needed an elective; it sounded easy.”</p><p>“Was it?”</p><p>Poe laughed. “Hell no. I didn’t know the first thing about art. But I had a great teacher. I guess some of it stuck.”</p><p>“Art history, fantasy novels, what else don’t I know about you, Poe Dameron?”</p><p>Poe wrapped his arm around her waist. “Maybe you’ll just have to keep me around and find out.”</p><p>They stopped at the small food stand by the playground for some gelato; Poe found them a bench to sit. The gelato was good, but sharing it was better. And they didn’t always share it with a spoon. They shared giggling frozen tongued kisses that sent shivers down Rey’s spine. They’d been walking for a couple of hours, so they stayed on the bench and people watched for a while. At eight o’clock the playground officially shut down for the night, though there were a few stragglers as parents struggled to get toddlers into strollers.</p><p>“Ready to head back?” Poe asked.</p><p>“Not yet.” She moved so she could stretch out on the bench with her head in Poe’s lap. “Is this okay?”</p><p>“Yeah.” Since the playground was closed the tall overhead lights were off, leaving only the perimeter pathway lights. Poe looked up and saw more stars than he’d seen in a long time. “Ah.”</p><p>“You can’t see this many stars back home.”</p><p>Poe absently carded his fingers through her soft hair as he stared up at the sky. “No, you can’t.”</p><p>Rey continued to examine the sky, but he focused on her. He studied her face the way she studied the stars, trying to memorize every freckle, every curve and dip. He wanted to remain true to their pact and not think about what would happen when they left this place. Yet, he’d imagined being with her for such a long time. He wanted whatever magic this place granted them to last. </p><p>The more time he spent with her, the more certain he became. He was falling for her.</p><p>And why wouldn’t he? She was beautiful, playful, smart, the best friend a person could ask for. Once Rey was in your corner, she’d do anything. She was fiercely protective of those she cared about. It was something they had in common. She simply lit up any room she entered, and he wanted to bask in her light.</p><p>He couldn’t say anything. Not yet. This thing between them was fragile and new; it needed to be tended and cherished. He had a whole week to prove that they could work. And Poe never backed down from a challenge.</p><p>The hard stone started to make her butt fall asleep, so Rey reluctantly sat up. “Thanks for indulging me,” she said, brushing a kiss to his cheek.</p><p>“This was fun.”</p><p>She smiled. “Yeah, it was.” Before, she felt the need to fill the silence, lest she give away her crush. But now, she didn’t have to. They could just be, and she liked that. She looked over at the empty playground. “You know…the fun doesn’t have to stop.”</p><p>Now he was intrigued. “What did you have in mind?”</p><p>Rey stood and smiled mischievously. Then she smacked his bicep and yelled, “Tag! You’re it!” Before Poe could even process what happened, she dashed off into the playground.</p><p>“Hey!” He started after her, but it was darker inside the bowels of the playground. “This place is closed,” he grumbled. “You want to get us kicked out of here?”</p><p>“Oh, come on!” she taunted. “Where’s the sixteen-year-old who took a dare? Hmmm?”</p><p>“I really wish I hadn’t told you that story.” He caught sight of her climbing up the ladder to the suspension ropes; he ran after her. “Rey, be careful!” he called.</p><p>“Kids play here, it’s fine.” To prove her point, she grabbed the rope and swung across easily. But when she turned her back, she lost sight of Poe. Where the hell did he go?</p><p>Poe used the shadows to his advantage and crept up behind her. Rey just about a foot away when he poked her in the shoulder. “Tag, you’re it!”</p><p>“Ugh!” Rey cried, frustrated to be caught. But at least he was playing. She didn’t know what possessed her to want to play a kids game, but she had to admit it was fun. They chased each other around the playground, making quick getaways with the slide or fireman’s pole or the swings. The game went back and forth until they were both giddy and breathless. Rey finally collapsed onto one of the swings, exhausted. </p><p>“Surrendering already?” Poe asked, appearing behind her. His hand curled around hers on the metal chain.</p><p>“I never surrender.”</p><p>“One of us is remembering the last twenty-four hours very differently.”</p><p>She laughed. “Always so cocky.”</p><p>“And you love it.”</p><p>“Hmmm, maybe.”</p><p>Poe ducked his head and brushed his lips over the sensitive spot behind her ear; Rey shivered. Before he could really get started, she twisted the swing around so she could face him. Then she curled her fingers around the chain on his neck and tugged him down to her for a hungry kiss. He groaned softly, her tongue sliding past his lips. The angle was awkward though, so Rey allowed him to pull her up, leaving the swing to clang loudly. They stumbled backward a bit until they reached the plastic playhouse. Poe spun them around until Rey was flat against the wall; she bit her lip as he kissed a path down her neck. “Poe…oh god,” she breathed, heat pooling in her core.</p><p>“We should…get back,” he replied, nosing at the collar of her shirt. It was far too big for her thin frame; it fell off her shoulder, exposing her clavicle.</p><p>“Or…not.” She had a truly wicked idea. Giggling, she grabbed his hand and coaxed him to follow her. She ducked <em>inside</em> the little playhouse; it was just tall enough for them to stand upright.</p><p>“Rey, what…” But she cut him off with a kiss.</p><p>The ground was springy under her feet; good, this wouldn’t be as uncomfortable as she expected. Before Poe could question her further, Rey dropped to her knees. It was almost pitch black inside the playhouse, aside from one small window. Poe felt her hands tugging on his shorts. “What the hell are you do…” His words melted into a surprised moan as she curled her fingers around his cock. “Rey, Rey…<em>shit.”</em> He had to brace himself with one hand on the roof of the playhouse, because his knees threatened to buckle under her clever fingers. He was completely erect in seconds and struggling not to rock into her touch.</p><p>“Hmmm, I think he likes it.”</p><p>“We shouldn’t…oh god…do this…here,” he panted, trying to focus on anything but her touch.</p><p>“Why not? No one’s around. And I want to.” Her lips touched the sensitive belled head. “You wouldn’t let me last night.” That was because he’d made things all about her. Which was amazing, but she wanted to learn what he liked.</p><p>“Someone was very…fuck, <em>demanding</em> last night.”</p><p>“And now I’m demanding <em>this.”</em> She licked a stripe along the underside of his thick cock; Poe’s strangled moan made her core clench. She kept going, exploring him, licking and laving along his considerable length. Little moans and sighs tumbled from his lips; she was going to enjoy making him incoherent.</p><p>Never in a million years did he think he’d be in a position like this. Certainly not with Rey. But it was too late to stop. “Please,” he pleaded. “More.”</p><p>Rey rose up higher on her knees and <em>finally</em> took him into her mouth. Slowly at first, sucking gently on the head, teasing him. His hand sank into her hair; he was surprisingly gentle, not trying to guide her. Gradually, she took him deeper and deeper; the cabin filled with downright obscene sounds as she worked him with her mouth. She couldn’t take all of him, so she stroked those last couple of inches with her hand.</p><p>“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” Poe chanted, as his orgasm coiled tighter and tighter at the base of his spine. Her mouth was warm and wet and perfect; he never wanted her to stop. But he was so, so close. He felt like he should warn her. “Rey, fuck, I’m gonna…” </p><p>She appreciated the warning, but she didn’t need it. She knew the signs now. She squeezed his hip to let him know that it was okay, while she hollowed out her cheeks. Poe’s shout as he climaxed was loud; she kept her lips wrapped tightly around him as he exploded in her mouth. She swallowed as much as she could, but a little dribbled down her chin. But it was worth it.</p><p>The moment she released him he dropped to his knees, spent. He fumbled for Rey, pulling her against his chest. “Are you <em>crazy?”</em> he panted weakly.</p><p>“Don’t tell me you’re complaining?”</p><p>“I just…you are…I can’t even think right now.”</p><p>“Then I did something right.”</p><p>Poe laughed breathlessly and managed to find her lips in the dark. She melted into his kiss; her curves pressed against him. “Now we’re going home.”</p><p>“I’m not sure you can stand.”</p><p>“I’ll make it. I have excellent motivation.”</p><p>“What’s that?”</p><p>“Payback.”</p><p>Rey smiled in the dark. “I love this game.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you all so much for the love this fic has gotten! Enjoy this update!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Where are we going?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe just grinned. “You’ll see.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey rolled her eyes. “Sometimes I think you enjoy being difficult.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t think I was difficult this morning, did ya?” Poe replied with a leering grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey flushed and gave him a half-hearted swat on the arm. She wondered if she’d created a monster, not that she was complaining. Poe made sure she </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> wake up alone that morning, rousing her from sleep with his head firmly between her thighs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could definitely get used to lazy morning sex that left them gasping and sated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Initially, she expected another day at the cottage, but Poe had other plans. He refused to tell her where they were going or what they were doing, merely requesting she wear a bathing suit. That request baffled her further when they didn’t go swimming in the ocean </span>
  <em>
    <span>or</span>
  </em>
  <span> the adult only pool. Instead, they marched in the opposite direction from the main beach or any of the pools.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have I steered you wrong yet?” Poe asked, squeezing her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose not,” she conceded. She tried to sound put out, but she really wasn’t. The truth was she </span>
  <em>
    <span>liked</span>
  </em>
  <span> spending time with him. Fear of her crush had kept her from </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> appreciating him before. Now that she didn’t have to worry about that, she found that she liked him even more. So much so that she was thinking dangerous thoughts again. Sometimes, late at night, she would listen to his steady heartbeat under her ear and imagine them at home. With Poe in </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> bed. Or her in his. She wasn’t picky. She was breaking her own pact, but she couldn’t help it. It seemed like each day they found something new they had in common. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They did still bicker though. Poe was a bit of a neat freak thanks to being raised by his Army dad; Rey routinely left towels on the bathroom floor. Poe was always the one who picked up their discarded clothes after sex, which amused Rey to no end. They had a two-hour debate about letting the resort staff do their laundry—even though it was included. Those few tense moments usually led to toe-curling pleasure, so it all worked out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grunts and shouts echoed a bit through the trees as they cut through the orchard, leaving Rey even more confused. Until they stepped into the clearing. “Volleyball?” How the hell did he know she played? She couldn’t remember ever mentioning it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leia has a picture of the two of you on her desk,” Poe said quietly. “The uniform kinda gave it away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She always wished Ben would play sports, but he was never interested. Even though it was only intramural, she and Han always came to my tournaments.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, they tend to stuff like that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad was usually busy, but he did come once.” She chuckled. “Honestly, I think Leia badgered him until he did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did that ever bother you?” Poe winced, realizing it was probably none of his business. “Sorry, you don’t have to…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s okay. For a long time, I just assumed Dad’s work was more important than me. Don’t get me wrong, he was always there. He made sure I did my schoolwork, ate, and all that stuff. But when he made me an intern, I realized that wasn’t true at all. I remember the first time one of my photos appeared alongside one of his articles. He sent a copy to everyone he could think of, to make sure they all knew that it was something </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>did. He still has a copy hanging in his office.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you consider following in his footsteps?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She thought about that. “Not really. I understand his passion for it. But I realized there wasn’t anything I could learn about it that he hadn’t already taught me. Professors don’t like it when you’re smarter than they are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe chuckled. “Yeah, they’d probably be intimidated by Luke Skywalker’s daughter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about your dad?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He blinked at the change of subject. “My dad? Stubborn like me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not a shock.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He bought a farm after Mom died, just a small one. He wasn’t thrilled when I told him I didn’t see myself as a farmer. You know, typical teenage rebellion stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like taking a cop car for a joyride?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly. We’re better now. I think he’s proud of me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure he is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe ran his fingers through his curls. “You know…I haven’t been by to visit in a while. Maybe you’d like to come with me next time?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That sounded suspiciously like post-trip planning, but Rey found she didn’t care. “I’d like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe’s smile made her heart flutter; why did he have to be so damn irresistible? He brushed a quick kiss to her lips. “So now…volleyball?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, why not?” There were three nets set up in the sand. Rey had never played beach volleyball, but surely, it wouldn’t be that different. Some lockers were set up on the edge of the play area; they stripped down to their bathing suits and tucked their spare clothes and belongings into the locker. Rey slipped the key around her neck for safe keeping. She caught Poe giving her a once over in her yellow bikini; he didn’t look the least bit sorry. “Down, tiger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe you should have brought something different if you didn’t want people to look,” he countered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She bit her lip as his hands settled on her waist. “I think there’s only one person I wanted to look,” she confessed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you certainly have his attention, Sunshine.” He leaned in and kissed her; she sighed as he deepened it briefly, teasing them both. “Hmm, maybe this was a bad idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You started it, buddy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He laughed; she loved the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed. It made her feel all gooey inside. “Okay, okay.” He actually did have something planned for them later, a trial balloon. He’d been careful not to do anything overly romantic yet, but he was itching to. Before they left, he made a quick call to the ever-helpful Daniels. If Rey didn’t freak out, then he would consider his grander, more elaborate plan. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Valentine’s Day was only a few days away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the nets was open, so they started with a little one on one game. Poe was terrible at first; he hadn’t played volleyball since high school gym class. He hadn’t been very good then either. But it was worth it to watch Rey. She ran around, dived in the sand, and celebrated with gusto every time she scored.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We really need to work on your serve,” she called. “This is too easy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you’re welcome to teach me anytime, Sunshine!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Poe! Rey!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe frowned. What the hell was </span>
  <em>
    <span>Zorii</span>
  </em>
  <span> doing here? He turned, ball under his arm. “Um, hi.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey stepped under the net, brushing sand off her skin. Zorii wasn’t alone; there was a young man with her. “Zorii.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, isn’t this lucky?” Zorii said, smiling. “I was just saying to Frik here that I still need to do some interviews for my review! We’re trying out all the amenities. Once I realized this was here, I simply had to check it out. And here you two are!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The young man beside her, Frik, looked rather embarrassed, but he said nothing. Poe slipped his arm around Rey’s waist. “We’re kinda in the middle of something, Zorii…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What you two need is a little </span>
  <em>
    <span>competition</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Zorii said confidently. “And we need to check this place out for my review, don’t we, Frik?” Before Frik could reply, Zorii turned back to Rey and Poe. “Frik is my photographer, you know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey’s a photographer,” Poe said, looking at her fondly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, it’s that </span>
  <em>
    <span>lovely,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Zorii replied dismissively. “Whaddya say? A little two on two?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe looked at Rey. She didn’t look happy about it, but she shrugged. “Sure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Zorii and Frik went to take their places, Poe tugged on Rey’s elbow. “We don’t have to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not intimidated by her, Poe. Now let’s get your serve fixed.” Rey spent the next ten minutes showing Poe how to serve properly. She was probably touching him a bit more than was strictly necessary, but she didn’t care. Something about Zorii rubbed her the wrong way. Zorii didn’t seem to care that—as far as she knew—Poe was a married man. The way she fawned over him and looked down at Rey had Rey’s hackles up. She desperately wanted to put the woman in her place. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sunshine, are you alright?” Poe asked quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine.” She brushed her lips to his. “Ready to kick some butt?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With you? Always.” He let Rey take point since she was the superior player. She took the first serve; Frik took a dive to try and return it, but it bounced in the sand. Poe got the feeling that Zorii was sizing Rey up, because things got interesting after that. Poe wasn’t sure he could really call it </span>
  <em>
    <span>fun</span>
  </em>
  <span>, unless he counted Rey kissing him senseless every time they scored a point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the end of the first game, they paused to get water. Zorii sidled up to him. “She really doesn’t like me, does she?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe blinked. “Who, Rey? She’s really, um, competitive. She’d be like this if we were competing against Santa Claus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zorii laughed. “Maybe, but I’ve been doing this a long time. Wives in general don’t like me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because men are fickle.” Poe opened his mouth to object, but Zorii cut him off. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. I’ve been in this business a long time. And in places like this, a pretty face is a dime a dozen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not married, are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never. I may write about the joys of weddings but I’m cynical as they come. Marriages are </span>
  <em>
    <span>work.</span>
  </em>
  <span> It’s easy to get caught up in the romance, but when it comes to the nitty gritty? Most people don’t have the stomach for it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll just have to agree to disagree.” The whole time Zorii spoke, his eyes never left Rey. She was speaking to the attendant at the snack stand as she retrieved their water. Was he caught up in the magic of this place? Was that where all these feelings were coming from? No, that wasn’t right. He’d harbored feelings for her even before they arrived. It was why he couldn’t bring himself to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> sorry that Finn and Rose had to bail. He wanted this time with Rey for himself. He truly thought they could build something great together. And what did Zorii know anyway? She didn’t know them. It didn’t matter what she thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe met Rey halfway back, taking a couple of the water bottles from her while he kissed her cheek. “Missed you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was fifty feet away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Still missed you.” He smiled, pleased when she flushed and smiled back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought you didn’t need cheesy lines, Dameron.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not allowed to miss my girl?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, her belly did not just flip flop. Okay, it totally did. She definitely liked the way that sounded. “What’s gotten into you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s just say I was left in less than stellar company.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey glanced at Zorii, who was preoccupied with her phone, despite the posted warnings to lock away valuables. “Well, we can’t have that.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in and kissed him. She flinched a little as one of the cold bottles touched her skin as Poe pulled her close. “Better?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Much.” He stole another kiss, just because he could. “Ready to finish them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She beamed. “Definitely.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An hour later, they started the long walk back to their cottage. Rey took great joy in forcing the reporter to run around in the sand as she tried to chase Rey’s volleys. Frik was actually the better player, which seemed to frustrate Zorii. They gathered an audience, which amused Poe. Rey was clearly the best player between the four of them, but Poe fed off her energy and actually scored a couple of times. It turned out they were a really great team. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now they were tired and starving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know there are a lot of restaurants we haven’t tried yet,” Rey said, bumping his shoulder, “but would you mind if we ordered in again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe chuckled. “I may have anticipated that actually.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I getting that predictable?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe I just know you that well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rested her head on his shoulder as they walked. “Could be.” It was dusk by the time they arrived back at the cottage. Rey dropped her shirt and phone on the desk. “Hey, I’m gonna get this sand off. You wanna order something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe hung back, nodding vaguely. If Daniels had done his job correctly, he wouldn’t need to do anything. But he was a bit nervous about Rey’s reaction. He followed a few steps behind as she turned into the bathroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey froze just inside the doorway, her eyes wide. Nearly every flat surface in the huge bathroom was covered in candles; beside the jacuzzi tub sat a tall spray of flowers, all native to the island. There was </span>
  <em>
    <span>also</span>
  </em>
  <span> a small covered tray along with a bottle of champagne.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe appeared behind her. “Um, surprise?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned around, her jaw still hanging open. “Poe…did you…how?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wanted to do something nice for you. These last few days…I’ve been really happy, Rey. I wanted to show you how much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unbidden, tears welled in her eyes. She didn’t want him to see, so she threw herself into his arms. No one had ever done anything so sweet and romantic for her. And it </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> romantic. The whole room glowed in yellow and orange, just like the flowers. “I love it,” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe smiled into her neck. “I’m glad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But how?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How else? I called Daniels while you were showering this morning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So that’s why you didn’t want to shower with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, it was tempting. You’re always tempting, sweetheart.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She grinned mischievously. “What about now? Will I be bathing alone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her nails dragged along the nape of his neck making him shiver. “If the lady wants company…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, she definitely does.” She pulled him in for a kiss; she sighed as his arms slipped around her waist. He hadn’t bothered to put his shirt back on after their match with Zorii and her minion, so she took the opportunity to explore his bare chest with her hands. He groaned as she moved lower; she loved to torment him. Her fingers brushed the ticklish spot on his side, causing him to flinch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not fair, Sunshine,” he complained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She giggled. “Why not?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She touched him there again; he hissed. “Unfair…advantage…” He grabbed her wrists and pinned them over her head. Rey bit her lip, her hazel eyes alight. He held her wrists with one hand while he skimmed the other down her body. “Can’t take a bath like this,” he murmured softly, reaching for the tie that held her bikini top in place. He grinned at Rey’s sharp intake of breath as he pulled on the string; it came loose instantly. Her back arched against the tile as the scrap of fabric fell to the floor. He palmed one breast with his free hand and ducked to take its twin into his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey keened, arousal flooding her core. She could have gotten loose if she really wanted to, but she liked this side of him. She was usually the aggressor when it came to their lovemaking, but she didn’t want him hesitant or hold anything back. She wanted to know that he wanted this as badly as she did. The dual stimulation had her soaked in minutes; she tried to clench her thighs to ease the ache he was building inside her. “Poe…ugh…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I let you go, are you gonna be a good girl for me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The way he growled that in her ear…it was a good thing he was holding her up or her knees would have collapsed under her. “Yes,” she breathed. “I’ll be good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His lips brushed the shell of her ear. “Now let’s see how wet you are for me.” Poe released her wrists and dropped to his knees. He pressed a series of kisses to her trembling stomach as he tugged down the bikini bottoms. Rey leaned against the tile, sighing as his hands widened her legs. Poe inhaled her scent, not bothering to hide his groan of appreciation. His fingertips skimmed along her inner thigh until he grazed her slit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Poe…god.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smirked up at her as his fingers probed further. “You like being a good girl, Rey?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded hard. “Don’t stop.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was gonna wait until after our bath but…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!” she screeched. “Please.” She rolled her hips into his touch. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Please.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“No touching,” he warned. “I wanna make you fall apart.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She agreed with a wordless nod, not trusting her voice. Poe pressed a kiss to her swollen clit, then he lifted her left leg over his shoulder. Rey whined, her hips thrusting fruitlessly for his mouth. He continued to tease her with featherlight kisses and flicks of his tongue until she was trembling with need. “Brace your hands on the wall.” That was all the warning she got before he lifted her up to get her legs on each of his shoulders. Rey cried out, one hand smacking the wall as he </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally</span>
  </em>
  <span> gave her what she needed so badly. He devoured her, his lips and tongue exploring every inch of her sex.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh god, oh god, oh god,” she panted. Her head thrashed; her hands slid against the slippery tile. If she’d known he’d be </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> good, she might have acted on her crush months ago. He made her see stars; a long wail tumbled from her lips as she climaxed. Poe held her securely by the hips as he dragged it out, sucking firmly on her clit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s my girl,” he whispered into her skin. He brushed a wet kiss to her inner thigh, still shaking from her orgasm. Rey’s legs wobbled dangerously as he set her on her feet; Poe held her steady as he stood up. “Such a good girl for me, Sunshine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hummed and pulled him in for a breathless kiss. She tasted herself on his tongue; she shivered. Her hands slid down his chest. “Hmm, do good girls get rewarded?” she whispered between kisses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe.” He knew what her game was, but he wanted her to ask for it. Her nimble fingers slid inside his trunks and palmed his straining erection. He thrust into her hand, seeking friction. “What does my good girl want?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nipped sharply at his lip. “I want you to bend me over and fuck me like a bad girl.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit,” he cursed. Two pairs of hands fumbled with his trunks; they fell to the floor in a heap. Poe kicked them away urgently as he kissed Rey hungrily. His erection pressed into her belly, hard and thick; her core clenched in anticipation. Poe reached blindly for the ledge where they’d left a handful of condoms and pressed one into her hand. Rey sheathed him quickly as a fresh wave of arousal slid down her legs. Poe kissed her one final time before turning her around pressing his hand to her shoulder blades. She obeyed him, bracing her hands on the tile again and spreading her legs in invitation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe skimmed his hands down her spine and over her ass. “You are perfect,” he murmured. He didn’t want to tease them anymore, so he lined himself up and sank into her with a groan. “Fuck.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey let out a low moan; it felt even better than she imagined. He only paused for a few seconds to let her adjust; they knew each other’s bodies fairly well by then. His hands tightened on her hips as he took her hard, deep rough strokes that had her crying out in pleasure. Her fingers flexed; her knuckles were white. Any sort of coherent thought flew out of her head; the world shrunk down to the way Poe felt inside her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt her walls start to flutter; Poe reached under her to help her along. Rey whined as he deftly circled her clit; she screamed as she fell over the edge. Poe didn’t even try to resist the pull of her, gasping her name as he followed. Rey felt his lips brush her back; she sighed with happiness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should try that bath now,” he murmured softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Think you can stand?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey wasn’t quite sure, but she wasn’t going to let </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> know that. She pushed herself up; Poe’s arm slid around her waist. “I’m fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then I’m not sure I did my job right, sweetheart.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She twisted and brushed her lips to his. “That was amazing. Thank you.” She looked around at the still burning candles. “And for all this. I really do love it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He kissed her brow. “You’re welcome.” Then with a downright </span>
  <em>
    <span>filthy</span>
  </em>
  <span> smirk, Poe scooped her up and carried her to the tub. As it was a jacuzzi, the water was still perfectly warm. Rey laughed as Poe dropped her gently into the water. He paused only long enough to trash the condom before joining her, pleased that his romantic gesture was so well received. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Poe winced as he stood; Rey hurried around to his side. “Woah, easy,” she scolded gently. “The medic said…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe grit his teeth. “It doesn’t hurt that much.” He didn’t protest as Rey slipped her arm around his waist, allowing him to lean on her. Rey waved off the golf cart driver before they started hobbling toward the cottage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is all my fault.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A day or so off my feet and I’ll be fine,” he assured her. “It’s only a light sprain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That didn’t make Rey feel better. She coaxed him into doing to the stupid three-legged race (okay, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>might</span>
  </em>
  <span> have made her suggestion in another of their post coital snuggles, knowing he would agree to almost anything) in the first place. They never would have been there making fools of themselves if she hadn’t been so insistent. She wasn’t even sure what possessed her to choose </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> activity; for some reason, she seemed drawn to the couples exclusive activities. Being so close to the big day, the resort offered a plethora of things for couples to do together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seriously, Sunshine,” Poe added when she didn’t reply. “I promise you I’ve had worse falls.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With the weight of a grown human twisting your ankle a way it shouldn’t?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, you might have me there.” When she didn’t smile, he frowned. “Hey, I’m gonna be okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey fished out her key and opened the door. They hobbled over to one of the armchairs where she let Poe sit. “We need to get that ankle elevated. But you’re gonna have to change.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong with my clothes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve got grass and dirt all over you.” She brushed a kiss to his temple. “Back in a minute.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe sighed; he didn’t know why she was blaming herself. It could have just as easily been her ankle that got twisted. It hurt like hell, but the resort medic promised him he’d be fine in a day or so. Which was a good thing because Valentine’s Day was only two days away and he had plans. Plans that he’d been in secret consultation with Daniels ever since their candle lit bath. It went over really well; it gave him the confidence to move forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here we go.” Rey knelt in front of the armchair, clean clothes and a couple of towels in her arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am a grown up, you know,” he said as she removed his shoes. “I can take care of myself. Been doing it for years.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shot him a look. “The medic said…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know what he said. And we’re gonna do it, but not until you can actually look me in the eye.” After a few tense beats, Rey raised her eyes to his. The regret and anxiety he saw in them staggered him. “Was that so hard?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t funny, Poe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never said it was. But you’re being weirdly serious about a simple sprained ankle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She knew he was right, but she couldn’t put her finger on </span>
  <em>
    <span>why.</span>
  </em>
  <span> All she knew was that he got hurt and it was her fault. It had been </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> idea to enter; </span>
  <em>
    <span>she</span>
  </em>
  <span> was the one who lost their balance, causing them to crumple in a heap. Her weight landed on him, which in turn caused the ankle that </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> lashed to hers to get caught under him awkwardly. She skimmed her fingers over the swelling joint; Poe flinched. “Sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was an accident. Hell, it could have just as easily been the other way around.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But it wasn’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey, you didn’t twist my arm. I’m here with you because I </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be. I’m so curious about what makes you tick; I’d probably agree to anything that pretty head of yours could devise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She laughed dryly. “And you’re not going to complain about having your own personal nurse for the next day or so, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grinned. “See? Silver lining.” He wove his fingers into her hair and gently coaxed her in for a kiss. She sighed into him, his kiss soothing her worry. She didn’t fight him when he deepened it or pulled her into his lap. Bamboo dug into her knees as they made out, but Rey ignored it. She didn’t want to admit how much she craved the affection he showered on her. That would make this all too real.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few minutes, she pulled away. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Now</span>
  </em>
  <span> will you be a good patient?” she teased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you insist.” Rey helped him stand; he braced himself on her shoulders while she ducked down to change his shorts. She cleaned the lingering dirt and grass from his skin, then eased him back into the armchair. “Ow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Rey examined his elbow; it was scraped. “Why didn’t you say anything?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What am I, three?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rolled her eyes. “Yes, the big strong man can handle pain,” she muttered. She cleaned the wound carefully then went to find some Band-Aids in the bathroom. Once she got that taken care of, she reached for his shirt. “Arms up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, it really would be pointless for me to even put a shirt on,” he argued as she tugged the fabric over his head. Then he saw the look on her face. “What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dread filled her belly as she stared at his chest. Oh no. Oh </span>
  <em>
    <span>no.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Her fingers skimmed his neck as if she could magically make the necklace appear. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please don’t be mad. Please don’t be mad.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey, sweetheart, you’re kinda scaring me now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She bit her lip. “Um, Poe, you didn’t leave your necklace here? Or put it in your pocket or something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, why…” But he touched his neck. The chain was gone. His mother’s ring was </span>
  <em>
    <span>gone.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Shit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey’s eyes filled with tears. How could she have been so reckless? God, he was going to hate her now. She sucked in a breath. “I am so </span>
  <em>
    <span>sorry,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Poe. It must have slipped off when we fell…”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t panic,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought frantically. He’d had that ring since his mother’s death, his one tangible connection to her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t panic.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Rey, it’s…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare</span>
  </em>
  <span> say it’s okay!” she screeched. “It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> okay, Poe! That ring, your mom…I know what it means to you.” A single tear slid down her cheek. “And I’ve fucked everything up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As much as he was upset about potentially losing his mother’s ring, Poe couldn’t bear to see Rey like this. He tried to reach for her, but she shied away. “Rey, sweetheart…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey sat heavily on the couch, her head in her hands. First his ankle, now his mother’s ring. How terrible of a person was she? Just what did she think she was playing at? How could she have been so arrogant to think they could go from being friends to lovers without any consequences? They’d spent hours talking about their lost parents; she understood the sentiment that went with a cherished object from a lost loved one. And now she’d lost the most important keepsake Poe had.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t have to hate her; she hated herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe couldn’t stand the silence. He forced himself up and sat on the table across from her. This time when he touched her knees she didn’t shy away. “Rey. Sunshine, would you please look at me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His thumbs rubbed soothing circles on her knees; eventually, she mustered the courage to look at him. He looked at her with such soft tenderness and affection…she felt like a fraud. How could she have thought that they could have some sort of friends with benefits fling? Poe warned her that he couldn’t; she refused to listen. She barreled ahead anyway. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another tear slid down her cheek; she brushed it away. “Someone might have found it,” she said softly. “It might not be lost forever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He offered her a soft smile. “I was about to say the same thing. It’s just a ring.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Poe, it’s your </span>
  <em>
    <span>mother’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> ring.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, but…” Poe knew in that moment that it wasn’t a matter of </span>
  <em>
    <span>if</span>
  </em>
  <span> he’d fallen in love with her. He loved this woman with his whole heart, the way he’d always imagined falling in love with someone. Seeing her hurting like this felt like a punch in the gut. He could see how much she cared, even if she couldn’t see it herself. She was beating herself up because she thought she’d done something unforgivable. It didn’t matter that it was an accident. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he pulled them back. She wouldn’t believe him. Not now. So, he did the next best thing. “You are more important to me than a keepsake.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey bit her lip to keep her chin from trembling. He was willing to forgive her? Even now? The look in his eyes made her chest tight. All she wanted was for him to hold her and tell her everything would be okay. But she needed to find a way to make this right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t just want his forgiveness. She wanted his heart. Because she’d already given him hers.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh my god.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey looked up, her fingers tracing the contours of his handsome face. She wasn’t sure when it happened, but suddenly, her reactions to things made sense. Her jealousy about Zorii. The safety she felt in his arms. The desire to confide things she’d never really told anyone. The fear and anxiety that he might hate her for losing something precious to him. She loved him so much her chest hurt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, she needed to make things right before she told him. He might not need it, but she did. She wanted to prove that this wasn’t a fling to her. That she was in this for the long haul if he would have her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey, what’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head. “I’m gonna fix this, Poe. I promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey, you don’t…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing crazy. I’m sure this place has a lost and found. I’m getting your mom’s ring back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tried to protest, but she wouldn’t hear it. And she </span>
  <em>
    <span>insisted</span>
  </em>
  <span> on going herself. Poe cajoled and argued for over a half an hour, but all Rey would do was get him into their bed and prop his foot up on several pillows. She was a woman on a mission and nothing Poe could say would dissuade her. “Sunshine!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey looked back; his eyes were still pleading. “Poe, I have to…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed. “I know. A kiss for luck?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled. “Okay.” She hurried back to the bed and sat on the edge of it. They leaned in at almost the exact same moment; Rey sighed as he threaded his fingers into her hair. She let the kiss linger for a long beat. “I’ll be back soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that, Rey forced herself to leave. It was almost dusk; her first stop was the field they’d done the race in. She located the spot where she </span>
  <em>
    <span>thought</span>
  </em>
  <span> they fell and started pawing through the grass. It felt a bit like a wild goose chase, but she preserved. She’d scour every inch of the damn resort if she had to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I help you with something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey jumped; her heart galloped in her chest. “Shit, you scared me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The young man looked apologetic. Rey recognized him as the same one from trivia night. “My apologies. Are you…looking for something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, yeah. My, uh…” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Shit.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “We were doing the three-legged race earlier and my, uh, husband and I took a bit of a tumble. His necklace seems to be missing; we think it might have slipped off when we fell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The young man’s eyes lit up. “Oh yes! Mrs. Dameron! I was here for that. Your husband twisted his ankle?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. He’s okay, but when we got back to the cottage, we realized the necklace was gone. It has his mother’s ring on it. I was hoping maybe someone found it? Possibly took it to lost and found?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t hear about a necklace, but we do have a lost and found. At the concierge desk in the main building. I could walk you there if you like.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I remember where it is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can also see if our groundskeeper has a metal detector. That might be more efficient than searching on your hands and knees.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey sighed in relief. Why didn’t she think of that? “Oh my god, that is so nice of you. I was so panicked…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s no trouble,” the young man said. He patted his walkie talkie. “I’ll stay here and call for the metal detector. If it is at the desk, they can just call me and let me know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are a lifesaver…” She glanced at his name badge. “BB?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Short for Bernard Bruce. Don’t ask.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey chuckled. “Okay. I really can’t thank you enough, BB.” She brushed dirt and grass off her knees then set out for the main building at a jog. She didn’t want poor BB to be standing out there all night. Once again, Daniels was at the concierge desk when she arrived. Did he </span>
  <em>
    <span>live</span>
  </em>
  <span> there? It seemed like he was the only one who ever worked the desk. “Ah, Mrs. Dameron!” he called. “How may I be of service?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey had to catch her breath from her jog. “Is the lost and found here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why, certainly! What is the missing item?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A silver chain. It had a woman’s wedding band hanging from it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me see…” Daniels went to fetch the box, leaving Rey to wait. She drummed her fingers on the counter, trying not to worry too much. She had to find the necklace. She just </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> to. Poe might claim that it didn’t matter, but if they were going to try to make a serious go of this, then she didn’t want something like this hanging over them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she wanted to see the look on his face when she brought it back, safe and sound.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey, is that you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey groaned. Of course, it was the </span>
  <em>
    <span>last</span>
  </em>
  <span> person she would want to see. “Hi, Zorii.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zorii looked around, a frown caught between her brows. “Where’s you better half?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Back at the cottage. He, uh, twisted his ankle earlier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, the poor thing! Is he okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He needs to stay off it for a day or so, but he should be fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zorii smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “That’s good. Wouldn’t want him out of commission on the most </span>
  <em>
    <span>romantic</span>
  </em>
  <span> day of the year!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey hoped Zorii didn’t notice her sharp intake of breath. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Valentine’s Day.</span>
  </em>
  <span> How could she have forgotten? This trip had been all about </span>
  <em>
    <span>avoiding</span>
  </em>
  <span> it, but now…the wheels started to turn in her head. If she could find the necklace…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure</span>
  </em>
  <span> Poe has something special planned for you, dear. He seems like the type,” Zorii was saying, oblivious to Rey’s thoughts. “I must say, for the first time in years, I find myself feeling a bit less cynical regarding the big day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey tilted her head, confused. “Why’s that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I don’t need to tell </span>
  <em>
    <span>you.</span>
  </em>
  <span> You’re already living the dream! Handsome husband, idyllic island honeymoon…Don’t get me wrong, dear. Marriages are </span>
  <em>
    <span>work.</span>
  </em>
  <span> But the way he looks at you…it’s as advertised on the box, Rey. It’s the way a man should look at the one he loves, like they are the most important person in the world.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey found herself blushing. Zorii’s words echoed what Poe said earlier. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You are more important to me than a keepsake.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Could he have been trying to tell her something? Something that she was too unwilling to hear because of the stupid pact they’d made? She realized now what she’d done. She’d been trying to protect herself just in case this blew up in her face. And in doing that, she might have ruined it before it could properly begin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had so much to make up for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mrs. Dameron!” Daniels called. He approached, something clutched in his fist. “You won’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>believe</span>
  </em>
  <span> what I’ve found!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The necklace?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please, please, please…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The old gentleman held his hand out. “Is this the necklace in question?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A wave of relief like she’d never experienced washed over her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Yes!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Oh my god, </span>
  <em>
    <span>thank you,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Daniels. I can’t tell you what this means.” She held out her hand; Daniels slipped the necklace into it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you mind filling out a form, Mrs. Dameron? For our records.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course.” When Rey looked up, Zorii was leaving. “Zorii! Thanks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What for?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey chuckled. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.” She turned back to Daniels and filled out the required forms. Then she had him call BB and to thank him and let him know that the metal detector wasn’t needed. She made sure to write out a comment card praising both BB and Daniels for their help in locating the necklace. She started to go, but promptly changed her mind. “Daniels?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Could you help me with something else?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course. It is my honor.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Poe flipped through the channels for the fifth time, trying to get his mind off Rey. While he appreciated her desire to find his mother’s ring, he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was doing it for the wrong reason. Did she really think he could hate her for something that was clearly an accident? Losing his mom’s ring stung, but he had other reminders of her. Poe was more afraid of losing Rey. He didn’t want to lose whatever chance he had with her before it could properly begin!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His ankle was still sore; he probably needed some ice to get the swelling down. He needed to be ready for the things he had planned on Valentine’s Day. He hoped he wasn’t overstepping. This was supposed to be a friends’ trip meant to snub the commercial holiday. Fate was either giving him a gift or laughing at him. He couldn’t decide which.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door opened; relief washed over him as Rey stepped through the door. “Hey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled. “Hey.” Rey kicked off her shoes, crossed the room and climbed into bed. “How’s your ankle?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sore. Might need some ice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got some on the way. Along with dinner.” She leaned in and brushed a kiss to his lips. “I’ve got something else too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe’s eyes widened. “You found it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daniels located it in lost and found.” She extracted it from her pocket and held it out. Poe’s eyes misted over; his fingers grazed the dangling ring. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“May I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please.” He ducked his head so she could slip it on. The familiar weight settled against his chest; Rey rested her hand over it. He covered her hand with his, squeezing her fingers. “You didn’t have to, but I appreciate this, Sunshine. So much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome.” She leaned close and brushed another kiss to his lips. Somehow it was sweeter now that she understood how she felt about him. She wanted to tell him, but she didn’t think the moment was right. Fortunately, she had a plan. In two days’ time, everything would change.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Next to last chapter! I hope you enjoy it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Poe could feel Rey’s concerned gaze on him. “I’m fine,” he promised her for the seventh time. “Don’t worry.”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Rey replied, unable to meet his eyes. They’d been hiking for over an hour; Poe seemed perfectly fine so far. Rey wasn’t worried so much as nervous. She was <em>incredibly</em> nervous about what awaited them at the end of their hike. In the spirit of friends thumbing their noses up at Valentine’s Day, they’d booked this extended nature hike through the Preserve early in their trip. It was supposed to end when they reached the wide rim of the smaller Corvus crater. Only Rey had made special arrangements for them, something Poe didn’t know about. While he brushed his teeth that morning, she rifled through his clothes for things to put into an overnight bag. Daniels promised her that the bag and her other arrangements would be at their destination when they arrived.</p><p>Rey wasn’t used to taking romantic risks; she was more than a little freaked out about its reception.</p><p>“Hey, you okay?” Poe asked, squeezing her fingers. Their guide was speaking, but neither of them paid much attention. As long as they stayed on the path, they would be fine.</p><p>“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”</p><p>“No reason.” It hadn’t escaped Poe’s notice that they were only one of two couples <em>on</em> this hike. Others probably found something more romantic to do, like dinner and dancing. Poe never expected them to be in this position when they booked this hike. With Daniels’ help, he hoped they were on a new path, but he wouldn’t know until they got to the end. </p><p>Poe patted his pocket again, just to make sure his gift was still there. He couldn’t lose it now. The words “Valentine’s Day” were never uttered by either of them; Poe tried to act as normal as possible. He wasn’t sure he succeeded; Rey had been acting weird ever since she returned with his mother’s ring. She spent the whole previous day watching him like a hawk. They snuggled in the bed watching movies with Poe’s foot propped up on pillows. He tried to persuade her to go enjoy the sunshine, but she was adamant. She stayed with him, though she refused to allow him to exert himself. Including no sex. And he tried to persuade her. A lot. But she always gently but firmly shut him down.</p><p>It made him more than a little worried. What if she’d suddenly changed her mind about them? They were due to return home in a few days. What if that was her way of letting him down easy? But those dark thoughts didn’t jive the look he saw in her eyes when she thought he wasn’t watching. Or the way she snuggled in his arms while they slept.</p><p>He just hoped they wanted the same thing.</p><p>“Make sure to stay hydrated!” their guide called. “It’s only going to get warmer as we approach the crater!”</p><p>The group paused for a water break; Rey found a log to sit on. She took several long pulls from her water bottle. It <em>was</em> hot, but her thoughts raced far ahead. Was she making a huge mistake? She wasn’t used to putting herself out there; it was terrifying. But she couldn’t bring herself to regret the choices that led her here. She was <em>happy</em> with Poe; he just seemed to get her. Waking up in his arms was pretty much her favorite place in the world at the moment; she didn’t want to give that up. She loved him.</p><p>Telling him was the terrifying part.</p><p>“It is beautiful out here,” Poe said, sitting beside her. </p><p>Rey looked at the exotic trees and foliage, so different from back home. It was <em>colorful</em>. The trees were the richest greens she’d ever seen; the flowers and vines a variety of nearly every color in the rainbow. It was almost too much for the eye to take in. She loved it. “Yeah, it is.”</p><p>“Ever consider taking a couple of samples home?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Add a few of these flowers to your greenhouse, sorry, your apartment,” he said with a teasing grin. </p><p>“I don’t have that many plants!” she protested, elbowing him.</p><p>“It was the first thing I noticed when I walked in,” he continued. “You’ve got quite the green thumb.”</p><p>She flushed. “What sort of things did your mom grow in her garden?”</p><p>Poe tilted his head. “Herbs mostly. Though we did plant annuals by the front stoop every year.”</p><p>“Hmm, maybe I should have one of those herb gardens you hang outside your window.”</p><p>“I’ve heard you’re not much of a cook.”</p><p>Rey huffed. “Finn’s such a traitor.”</p><p>Poe brushed a stray lock of hair back into her ponytail. “I’ve picked a few things up cooking wise. Maybe you’d let me cook for you?”</p><p>Two days ago, she might have turned him down. Now? Spending time with him was all that she wanted. “Sure.”</p><p>Poe’s pleased grin made her heart skip a beat. “It’s a date.”</p><p>With the water break over, the hike continued. The guide was very knowledgeable about the ecosystem and what the resort was doing to protect it. The resort only existed to help finance the efforts to preserve the surrounding jungle. Unlike the others on the island, the Temple of Corvus was environmentally oriented. It was one of the reasons they chose it. Rey wished she were paying more attention, but she was too anxious. Poe slipped his hand in hers, his thumb rubbing her knuckles. She smiled at him; he just seemed to know when she was feeling out of sorts. </p><p>The main part of the hike lasted for another ninety minutes; they paused at the overlook to the crater. “Remember this is an <em>active</em> volcano,” their guide warned. “It’s a pretty spectacular view, but I don’t recommend lingering too long. I’ll give you some time to explore. Those of you returning to the resort with me, please meet back here in one hour. For the others, the shuttle to Point Serenno will be here in roughly thirty minutes.”</p><p>A murmur went through the group. What was Point Serenno? Who got the special access to go there? Rey wasn’t among them though. She knew exactly what it was. It was where she and Poe were headed after this. She was too anxious to realize that Poe <em>also</em> was unfazed by this information.</p><p>“Shall we?” Poe asked.</p><p>“Sure. I’ve never seen a volcano.” They hiked up to the overlook, a concrete slab rimmed with cement railings. A hot breeze washed over them when they reached the top. The overlook wasn’t that big; not everyone could go up at once. They moved to one corner, gazing out at the crater. </p><p>Crater was a bit of a misnomer. It was more like a fissure. But it was wide and deep, glowing orange in the center. Magma seemed to bubble out of it and slide toward the ocean. Steam filled the air; it felt like a sauna, only outside. They were witnessing Mother Nature at work. It was awe inspiring.</p><p>Poe looked up at the mountain that loomed above them. Streaks of obsidian glinted in the afternoon sun. It was beautiful in a stark kind of way. “Hey, should we get a picture?”</p><p>“Oh, sure.” Rey got out her camera; she’d nearly forgotten she had it. For several minutes, she struggled with it, trying to find a good angle for the picture. Finally, someone took pity on them and offered to take it for her. As Poe’s arms wrapped around her, she recalled the last time they took pictures like this. It led to their first kiss. After the standard hugging and smiling, Rey cupped his cheek and drew his lips to hers. Poe smiled into her kiss; he didn’t think he would ever get tired of kissing her.</p><p>The woman with Rey’s camera cleared her throat awkwardly; Rey flushed as she broke their kiss and took the camera back. She tucked it into her bag and took one final look at the volcano. “Ready?”</p><p>“Sure.” They headed back down to make room for others. Rey started walking over to the little parking area; the shuttle was already waiting. Her new friend BB was there, holding a sign that said “Dameron.” Rey suppressed a smile, tugging on Poe’s hand. “I wonder what that’s about?”</p><p>He couldn’t look at her, lest he give the surprise away. “Let’s go find out.” They walked over to the shuttle. “Um, hi,” Poe said, hoping he sounded properly confused. “What’s the shuttle for?”</p><p>“It’s the shuttle to Point Serenno, Mr. Dameron. It’s a perk of the honeymoon suite.”</p><p>“Oh.” He looked at Rey, who shrugged. “Probably shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, huh, Sunshine?”</p><p>“I’m game.” She winked at BB as Poe climbed into the shuttle; he smiled back at her. They were the only ones on the shuttle as it pulled away. The drive was short, only ten minutes or so. The barren volcanic rock gave way to more jungle as they approached the northernmost peninsula of the island. According to Daniels, it was the most secluded part of the island. The local government leased it out to the resorts, who split its use and upkeep. It was generally reserved for those guests who reserved the honeymoon suite, as a special romantic retreat during their stay. They were <em>very</em> lucky the Temple could get it for them on Valentine’s Day.</p><p>“Your things have already arrived,” BB said as they disembarked. “I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon.”</p><p>“Thanks, BB,” Rey said.</p><p>“You know him?” Poe asked as the shuttle pulled away.</p><p>“Yeah, he helped me find your necklace the other day. He was at trivia, remember?”</p><p>Poe’s eyes lit up. “Oh yeah! I remember the orange vest.” He looked at the beach house. “This is, um, fancy.”</p><p>“Looks like it’s ours for the night.”</p><p>“Looks like.” So far, so good. He opened the door and stepped inside. Just as requested, a romantic dinner for two was laid out on the table, complete with candles. The house was laid out in a similar manner to their cottage, with the bed granting them a view of the ocean through the wide-open doorways. The décor was brighter than the cottage, blues and greens splashed everywhere. It contrasted nicely with the dozen red roses that sat in the center of the small living area.</p><p>There was one thing that didn’t make sense though. There were two overnight bags by the bed instead of one.</p><p>When he turned around, Rey was smiling nervously. “Um, surprise?”</p><p>Poe frowned. “Surprise? Rey, how did you know about this?”</p><p>“Know about what? Poe, I planned this.” She looked deeper into the room. “I didn’t ask for roses though. That’s weird.”</p><p>“That’s because <em>I </em>asked for roses.”</p><p>Rey whirled around, dumbfounded. Wait, had they really…it seemed crazy, but the whole trip had that surreal quality. She burst out laughing. She laughed so hard her stomach hurt.</p><p>“What’s so funny?” Poe demanded. How the hell did she know? He thought he’d been careful! Now she was laughing at him.</p><p>Poe clearly didn’t understand what was so funny; she needed to pull herself together to explain. She took a few much-needed deep breaths. “Poe! Poe, please don’t be upset.”</p><p>“Kinda hard with you laughing at my attempt at a grand romantic gesture, Sunshine.”</p><p>She forced herself to settle down. She took his hands in hers. “I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing at both of us.”</p><p>“I don’t understand.”</p><p>“You weren’t the only one planning a grand romantic gesture.”</p><p>He stared at her for a moment until his brain registered her meaning. Then he laughed too. His laughter set Rey off again; they were both a giggling mess. Rey grasped his forearms trying to remain upright, but they wound up leaning on each other. As they settled down a bit, Poe pulled her close; she sighed as she buried her nose in his neck. She had no idea how long they stayed like that, just soaking each other in.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Rey said at last. “I had no idea.”</p><p>Poe chuckled. “That <em>was</em> kinda the point.” He drew her over to the table where the roses sat. He drew one out of the water and sat in the plush armchair, gesturing for Rey to join him. She did happily, seating herself in his lap with her legs thrown over the arm. Poe held out the rose. “For you. I know you’ve been fond of the native flowers, but I thought you deserved these.”</p><p>Rey accepted it and inhaled. It was perfect, fragrant and sweet. “Thank you.”</p><p>He rubbed her back absently, unable to look away from her beautiful face. “There’s, um, something else I wanted to say.” Instantly, Rey felt her heart accelerate. She waited patiently. Poe gathered his courage, hopeful that they might be on the same page now. “I didn’t know what to expect when we got here, Rey. I really didn’t. I even after we agreed to that stupid fake marriage thing, I couldn’t even imagine how it would feel to be with you.” He covered her free hand with his. “I don’t want this to end when we leave here, Sunshine. I want you. I want us. All the time. And I want it because…” He looked into her hazel eyes; they shined with unshed tears. “I love you.”</p><p>Rey tossed the rose away and cupped his cheeks in her hands. A single tear slid down her cheek as she leaned in and kissed him. She’d been so worried, but Poe loved her! There was nothing to be worried about at all. When she pulled back, she was smiling. “I love you too, Poe.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>She nodded. “When I realized your mom’s ring was missing, I was convinced you would hate me. That’s when I knew I couldn’t lose you.”</p><p>“Even if it had been, I could never hate you. You’re my Rey.”</p><p>She leaned her forehead against his. “All the time, huh?”</p><p>He laughed. “Yep. We’ll be that nauseating happy couple. Finn and Rose will hate it.”</p><p>“Funny, I don’t really care all that much.” She brushed her lips to his; one kiss led to another and another and another until she shifted so she was astride his legs. Poe’s hands settled on her ass as they made out; she carded her fingers through his curls. </p><p>Her teasing tugs on his hair made him groan; Poe gently pulled away before things got too out of hand. “Rey, slow down.”</p><p>“Why?” She ducked to attack his neck; Poe’s eyes fluttered shut for a minute. </p><p>“As much as I want that,” he panted, “I did order us dinner.”</p><p>“What else did you do?”</p><p>“You’ll just have to wait and see.”</p><p>“Ugh, fine.” She stole one last kiss from his lips. “Love you.”</p><p>He was not going to tire of hearing that. “Love you.” Poe missed her as soon as she stood, but he led them over to their candle lit dinner. He ordered all of Rey’s favorites from the last week and a half, along with a bottle of champagne. She jumped as he popped the cork; he laughed. “Go ahead, dig in,” he said, pouring them each a glass.</p><p>Rey wasn’t sure where to start. “I can’t believe you did all this.”</p><p>“When did you pack the overnight bag?”</p><p>“When did <em>you?”</em> She noticed there were two.</p><p>“I asked first.”</p><p>Rey rolled her eyes. “This morning when you were brushing your teeth.”</p><p>“Last night after you fell asleep.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>Poe grinned. “We’re a pair, aren’t we?”</p><p>“Maybe that’s a good thing.”</p><p>“Maybe it is.”</p><p>Rey had to admit dinner was perfect. The candles, the food, the company. Poe really had gone above and beyond to make it memorable. In some ways it was like every other meal they shared on the trip, but now when he looked at her, she saw the love in his eyes. She felt lighter, happier. Dessert was a small cake in the shape of a heart. “I couldn’t resist,” Poe said with a sheepish grin. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Rey.”</p><p>“It’s sweet. Thank you.” They demolished the cake slowly, talking about some of the things they wanted to do when they returned home. </p><p>“First weekend we can get away,” Poe said, “we’ll go see my dad. He’ll love you.”</p><p>“Your dad?”</p><p>“I gotta introduce him to my girlfriend, right?”</p><p>Rey blushed. Girlfriend. Yes, she liked the way that sounded. “I believe I already agreed to this date, Dameron.”</p><p>“Just making sure. And I’m cooking for you. Soon.”</p><p>“I can’t wait.” It would be hard to go back; she’d gotten used to this quiet bubble with just the two of them. But they could cross that bridge when they got to it. They still had a few days in paradise; Rey didn’t intend to waste a moment. “So…you’re not the only one who did something special for the holiday.”</p><p>“Now I’m intrigued.”</p><p>Rey put her napkin down and went over to the bed. She walked around it; sure enough, her package was there. She carried it back to the table and placed it in front of Poe, biting her lip. “I hope you like it.”</p><p>“Sweetheart, you didn’t have to…”</p><p>“I got it in Koima. I saw it and knew it was meant for you. To remember our trip.”</p><p>Poe swallowed thickly and tore at the paper. It was a painting, done on driftwood. It showed a building very similar to their cottage with two people sitting on the beach under an umbrella. Clearly done by a local artist. “Rey…it’s perfect. Thank you.” He knew the perfect spot to hang it in his apartment. But it reminded him of his own gift. “I got something for you too.”</p><p>“Poe…”</p><p>“Uh huh. It’s gift giving time.” He stood up and pulled the wrapped necklace out of his pocket. Rey accepted it with a tilt of her head. She untied the string that held the paper together; it almost fell to the floor. She caught it just in time, revealing the necklace. The pendant was a perfect sphere of obsidian hanging from a leather cord. It sparkled in the light, changing colors.</p><p>“Poe, it’s…”</p><p>“Too much?”</p><p>“No! No, I love it.” She handed it back to him. “Would you mind?”</p><p>She turned around; Poe opened the clasp and slipped the necklace around her neck. The cord allowed it to hang just above her breasts. She turned back and hugged him tightly. “Thank you.” </p><p>“You’re welcome.” He brushed a kiss to her cheek. “How shall we spend the rest of our time?”</p><p>Rey snickered. “I’ve got a few ideas.”</p><p>“I’ll bet you do.” She grabbed his hand, leading the way. They walked right past the king size bed and out onto the beach. It was fully dark now; moonlight flickered over the gentle waves. Stars littered the inky black expanse over their heads. It was the second most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. “What’s out here?”</p><p>Rey shrugged. “Depends on how adventurous you want to be.”</p><p>That had his attention. “Hmm, do tell.”</p><p>“Probably easier to show you.” She leaned in and kissed him, a mischievous grin tugging at her lips. Then she let go of his hand and pulled her tank top over her head. Her shorts were next; she kicked them away playfully. She took a few steps closer to the water; Poe watched as she reached behind her back and unclasped her bra.</p><p>“Oh shit,” Poe cursed. Did she really mean to…? His question was answered quickly as her panties got tossed over her shoulder. She didn’t wait for him, wading into the water naked.</p><p>Was she insane?</p><p>They <em>were</em> alone out here. In what other circumstances would they get the opportunity? “You coming?” she called.</p><p>“Yeah!” In less than a minute, his clothes lay forgotten beside hers as he waded into the water. It was colder than he expected, but he wasn’t letting Rey have all the fun. She was about fifty yards away in the middle of the secluded lagoon; he swam the last twenty yards. “Hmm, there you are.”</p><p>Rey wrapped her arms around his neck. “Took you long enough.” She kissed him, nearly knocking Poe off balance. He righted them, planting his feet firmly in the sand. Poe coaxed her legs around his waist as they made out under the stars. Time had no meaning out here; they were in their own world. She shivered as his hands wandered, squeezing her ass, teasing her nipples. She ground against him, his growing erection teasing her clit. “Now I know why people do this,” she breathed.</p><p>Poe groaned softly, his lips trailing along her jaw. “You’ve never been skinny dipping, sweetheart?”</p><p>“Nope,” she panted, guiding his hand between her legs. “You?”</p><p>“First time.”</p><p>She grinned. “Good.” She grabbed a fistful of his hair, kissing him hungrily. Water lapped against their skin as Poe worked his magic. He teased her for long minutes, never quite letting her fall over the edge. She whimpered and whined, the tease so delicious, but not enough. Frustrated, she nipped sharply at his earlobe, which finally got his attention. He growled, bringing her off with a soft cry. Her blunt nails dug into his skin as she rode out the aftershocks, her hips grinding against him. “Oh god.”</p><p>“Don’t get sleepy on me, Sunshine,” he murmured. “Not done with you yet.”</p><p>She wet her lips. “Hmm, yes, please.” She expected him to march them right back into the house, but Poe seemed content to take his time. He touched her like he was trying to memorize the moment; his eyes never left hers. Rey had no idea how long they stayed there, but finally, the cool water got the better of them. They walked hand in hand back to the shore, walking right past their clothes. They could get them in the morning. They trailed sand into the house; Poe led them to the bathroom.</p><p>The shower was enormous; Rey waited while Poe got the water to the right temperature. “Let’s get the sand and salt water off, hmm?”</p><p>The water was blessedly hot when they stepped in, falling from a large showerhead like rain. Rey didn’t hesitate to pull him close, kissing him deeply. This time she explored him, her hands tracing the planes of his chest and stomach, sliding around to grab his ass. Poe groaned, but gently disengaged. “Ah ah, wash first.”</p><p>“But we’re just gonna get dirty again,” she pointed out with a pout.</p><p>She was cute, but Poe wouldn’t be swayed. He’d waited a long time for this moment; he planned on enjoying it. He found the soap and washed her lithe form from head to toe, relishing every little gasp and moan that fell from her lips. Once he rinsed all the suds from her hair, she returned the favor, driving <em>him</em> crazy as she washed him. He nearly gave in as she stroked his aching cock, but he remained firm in his resolve. The moment he was clean, Poe shut off the water and got out. He tossed Rey a towel; she made a cursory effort to dry off before heading for the bed. Poe growled and followed her, his curls still dripping down his back. “Just where do you think you’re going?”</p><p>“Bed,” Rey shot back. “Wanna join me?” She flashed him a naughty grin as she crawled to the middle of the huge bed. It was soft like the one back at the cottage; she stretched out on the luxurious silk sheets. Moonlight streamed in through the open wall, giving Poe an unearthly glow. Her eyes trailed over him; beads of water still clung to his skin. She wet her lips; she needed him badly. “Come here.”</p><p>He did as she asked, crawling in after her. Their lips met in a heady kiss; Rey arched as his hands traced her curves. “I love you,” Poe whispered, kissing the spot behind her ear that made her gasp. “Love you so much.”</p><p>She whimpered, need coiling in her belly. “Love you too.” She dragged his lips back to hers, kissing him deeply. She eased him onto his back, sitting astride his hips. She guided his hands once again, encouraging him to touch. He heeded her, thumbing at her nipples while she ground against his cock, quickly bringing him back to full mast. The hard ridge rubbed her deliciously; she leaned back, her hands braced on his thighs. “Ugh.”</p><p>“That’s my girl,” he praised. “So wet for me.”</p><p>Each little flick of his fingers sent jolts of need straight to her core. She ached for him. “Poe, god, I <em>need…”</em></p><p>He groaned; he loved watching her move. “Should be some…fuck…condoms in the bag.”</p><p>Rey bit her lip, not really wanting to move. She wanted to <em>feel</em> him. Instead of going for the bag, she leaned over him. “And what if…I don’t want to use it?” she whispered.</p><p>Poe stared at her with wide eyes. “Rey…are you serious?”</p><p>She drew her lip between her teeth and nodded. They hadn’t talked about it per se, but Rey thought about it. She thought about it a lot. She loved him. Moreover, she <em>trusted</em> him. It had been a long time since she trusted someone as much as she trusted Poe. “But if you don’t want to…”</p><p>He cut her off with a kiss. “Not <em>want</em> to? But what if…”</p><p>She shook her head. “Already taken care of.” She pointed to a small scar on her arm. </p><p>Oh. Poe hadn’t even noticed it before, which was impressive considering how much time he’d spent mapping out her body. “You’re sure?”</p><p>“Very sure.” She kissed him, her tongue sliding along the seam of his lips. Poe opened for her with a soft groan, his hands sliding down her back. She pulled him with her as she sat up once more, her lips still hot on his. He cupped her ass, coaxing her to grind against him once more. She arched as he ran wet open-mouthed kisses down her throat, between the valley of her breasts. “Please,” she whimpered. “Need you.”</p><p>Poe swallowed heavily as he raised her hips and lined himself up. Rey couldn’t tear her eyes away from his as she sank down; she gasped as she stretched around his girth. “Oh fuck, <em>fuck,”</em> she panted.</p><p>Poe’s fingers dug into the soft skin of her hips. She was so wet and hot and tight; he had to count backwards from fifty, so he didn’t end this too soon. “God, you feel amazing.”</p><p>She brushed a kiss to her corner of his lips as she slowly rolled her hips. Poe’s hand wove into her damp hair, pulling her back for a proper kiss. They made out lazily as she rode him, Rey testing him with little swirls of her hips that made him crazy. In retaliation, he sought her clit with clever fingers, winding her up like a toy until she begged him to let her fall. “Not yet, sweetheart.”</p><p>Rey opened her mouth to protest when her lover abruptly moved. He picked her up and laid her out in the center of the bed, his eyes dark and hungry. She bit her lip as he shoved a pillow under her hips. Poe spread her legs, teasing her with his thumb. In moments, she was writhing once more, eager for him. He leaned over her, his arms braced on either side of her as he settled in the cradle of her thighs. She arched as his cock nudged her entrance and pushed inside. <em>“Yes.”</em></p><p>Poe slipped his arms under her shoulder blades, holding her to him as he took her. She moved with him, winding her legs loosely around his hips. Rey wasn’t quiet, encouraging him with needy whimpers and moans. Poe tried to hang on as long as he could, but she felt too good. His low grunt of her name was the only warning she got before he climaxed, his cock buried deep inside her tight sheath. Rey reached between them and rubbed her clit frantically, already close. She followed him seconds later, her clenching walls drawing out his high. They remained locked together for several minutes, hearts pounding. Rey brushed kisses to his damp skin and held him.</p><p>“Am I squashing you?” Poe asked softly.</p><p>“I’m good.”</p><p>“Liar.” He wrapped his arms around her and rolled them onto their sides. “Don’t go yet.”</p><p>She snuggled closer, craving the same thing. She sighed as his lips brushed her skin. “Hmmm.”</p><p>Poe closed his eyes and breathed her in. He couldn’t believe how much had changed since they arrived. He couldn’t properly put in words how much her love and trust meant to him. This would be a night he remembered for the rest of his life.</p><p>Rey lingered as long as she could; she didn’t want to leave his embrace, even for a few minutes. But eventually, she had little choice. “Hey…”</p><p>“Go ahead.”</p><p>“Two minutes.” Poe smiled to himself as she dashed to the bathroom. In the meantime, he made himself busy by peeling away some of the damp sheets and pillows. His hair was mostly dry now; Rey’s would be wet for a little while. When she returned, he stood in the doorway, looking out at the lagoon. Rey pressed herself against his back, winding her arms around his waist. “Penny for your thoughts?”</p><p>He chuckled. “For once, my mind was blissfully blank.”</p><p>She smiled into his back. “Oh yeah?”</p><p>He moved, tugging her around and holding her against his chest. “Does that surprise you?”</p><p>“Maybe a little.”</p><p>Poe cupped her chin, tilting it up so he could see her face. “This whole trip…on some level, I guess I’ve been thinking a dozen steps ahead, worried I would do something to upset the balance with us.”</p><p>She looked away; she knew that was partly her fault. “Poe, I…”</p><p>“Nope, we’re not doing that. We’re not going to go back and wondering ‘what if.’”</p><p>“We’re not?”</p><p>“Rey, I have had an amazing time with you. Even before we, uh…”</p><p>“Started having sex?”</p><p>He chuckled. “Yes, that. Even before that…this is the most fun I’ve had in years. No matter what happened with us, that would always be true.” He stroked the apple of her cheek. “I was just lucky enough to also fall in love with you. I was a goner for you from that first kiss.”</p><p>That made her feel warm all the way to her toes. “I think I was too,” she confessed. “It just took longer for me to work it out.”</p><p>“Doesn’t matter. We’re here now.” Rey shivered; Poe coaxed her back to the bed, where she used his shoulder for a pillow. “We’ve still got a few days, Sunshine.”</p><p>“However shall we spend it, Mr. Dameron?” she teased.</p><p>“I can think of a few things, Mrs. Dameron,” he teased right back. Rey squealed as he rolled them and kissed her deeply. After all, it was Valentine’s Day for a couple more hours. Might as well make the most of it, right?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>And so we're at the end! I hope you enjoyed your gift, Duchess! It's been a blast to write. As always, I reserve the right to add to this verse at any time. Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Beep, beep, beep.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey groaned and threw the covers over her head. “Ugh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Beep, beep, beep.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can we shut that damn thing off?” she growled impatiently. She burrowed deeper under the covers, not wanting to wake up. She knew all too well what the alarm meant, and she dreaded it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe rolled over, fumbling for the right spot on the screen of his phone. The sound cut off at last; he sighed. “I really hate alarms.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why’d you set it then?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bed creaked a little as he pressed himself against his girlfriend’s back. She hummed, drawing his hand over her stomach. “You know why,” he mumbled, burying his nose in the back of her neck. It was their last morning on the island. They requested a late check out because their flight wasn’t until after three in the afternoon; Daniels was happy to oblige them. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just a little longer,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Poe thought as he held Rey close. They only had a few more hours before the real world intruded on their bubble.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The last few days of the trip were low key. They made the most of the time at Point Serenno, swimming and sunbathing. Along with other naughtier activities.  Every day since they slept late, hung out on the beach, and christened nearly every flat surface in the cottage. Poe did manage to coax Rey into trying ziplining, but that was one of the few times they ventured from their temporary home. They both seemed to recognize that their time together like this was short, so they tried to fully enjoy it. Last night, Poe surprised her with a date night, dinner and dancing. This time they stayed out until the bar closed, dancing the night away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But now it was almost time to return home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither talked about it. How would they explain the sudden change in their relationship to their friends? Or their families? They both had jobs that kept them busy. How would things work when they had to accommodate their real-life responsibilities? Poe was determined to make it work, whatever it took. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey slipped her leg between Poe’s knees, enjoying the cocoon of warmth. Everyone knew she got chilly easily, but Poe kept her warm. How was she supposed to go back to living alone in her small apartment?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t think,” he mumbled. “We haven’t left yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She slipped his hand under her borrowed shirt. “Maybe I need a distraction.” She wiggled her ass against him, earning her a groan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sunshine…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wet her lips, coaxing him to keep touching her. “That’s better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, this?” He cupped her breast, kneading the soft mound. Rey arched against him, her ass rocking against his crotch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” she gasped, heat pooling in her core.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re sleeping at my place tonight,” he said, grinding against her. “Or yours. I’m not picky.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey hummed, reaching back and weaving her fingers into his curls. “I’ve got a…oh god…tiny bed,” she breathed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe chuckled, giving her nipple a rough tweak. “My place then.” Rey rolled over and drew his lips to hers, kissing him deeply. Poe grabbed her hips and pulled her astride him as the blanket fell away. They made out lazily, hands wandering, hips grinding. They were in no hurry, savoring these last few moments alone. Rey broke their kiss long enough to get her shirt off; Poe sat up and cradled her against his chest as she raised her hips. Words were unnecessary as she sank down on him. Poe held her close as she steadily rode them both into oblivion, leaving them gasping for air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey buried her face in the crook of his neck, not wanting to move. Poe rubbed soothing circles on the small of her back, feeling equally happy and sad. It was bittersweet, leaving this place. But he was excited for what their future could be. “I love you,” he said softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Love you too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He cradled her cheek in his hand. “We’re gonna make this work, Rey. I’ve waited too long for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A smile tugged at her lips. “Me too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Glad we cleared that up.” He placed a chaste kiss to her lips. “You go ahead. I’ll meet you in the shower in a minute.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An hour later, they were showered, dressed, and packed. Rey gave the cottage one final once over to make sure they weren’t leaving anything behind. Her extra suitcase was a lifesaver; nearly all their souvenirs fit inside it. The exception was Poe’s art; they moved some of his things to her suitcase so it would fit. He didn’t want to ship it home. BB arrived with the golf cart for their luggage; he offered to take them back to the main building, but they declined, preferring to walk. Rey wanted a few more minutes to soak up the warm sun before they left for the airport.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t tell Finn I said this, but part of me is glad they couldn’t make it,” she confessed as they walked hand in hand. “Does that make me a terrible person?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe shook his head. “If it does, then we’re both guilty. I love him and Rose like family, but I’m sure there will be other trips. I loved having you all to myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She blushed. “Me too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Though if we do all vacation together again, you and I are sharing a room.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She giggled. “Damn right. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That so?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She ignored him. “Though, after this, the bar is set pretty high.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just means I’ll have to get creative.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I look forward to it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had brunch at the Village Kitchen; not even the grumpy waiter, Kay, could get them down. Poe made a mysterious purchase at the giftshop, but he refused to tell Rey what it was. Her birthday was coming up; he wanted to be ready. After that, they whiled away the last hour sitting on a bench by the beach, just soaking in the sun. Eventually, it was time to find the shuttle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daniels was at the concierge desk as they passed. “Mr. and Mrs. Dameron!” he called. “Leaving us so soon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve been here two weeks,” Poe chuckled. “Unfortunately, it’s time to go home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey nodded in agreement. “We’ve had an amazing time. Thank you for everything you did to help make it memorable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am always happy to assist. I do hope you’ll stay with us again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe glanced at Rey, who suppressed a giggle. “Who knows? Stranger things have happened!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey was still chuckling as they walked to the shuttle. “Do you think we should have told anyone the truth?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That we’re not married!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, that.” Poe brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “Maybe we were just that good at playing our part,” he teased. “I certainly enjoyed it. And besides, we </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> together now, so what’s the big deal?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose you’re right.” Neither spoke much on the drive to the airport. They got their bags checked quicker than Rey anticipated; it seemed most of the holiday crowds had already gone back to civilization. Once they got through security, all they could do was wait.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the first time in two weeks, Poe switched his phone off Airplane Mode. The airport’s wifi caused his screen to light up with notifications. “Yuck.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should have left my phone off.” He scrolled through the notifications, just to see if there was anything important. Junk email mostly, though there were some texts from work friends. Poe wasn’t even going to think about work until it was absolutely necessary. There was a weird message from his dad though. It was weird because it was a text and not a voicemail. Kes Dameron was never quick to adopt the new technology. And Poe was pretty sure he told his dad that he would be out of the country for a couple of weeks and not to worry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Kes never listened to him, so what else was new?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be right back.” He brushed a kiss to Rey’s temple and moved to a quiet spot to call his dad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kes picked up on the third ring. “About time you called, mijo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe sighed. “Sorry, Dad. I was on vacation, remember?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did they confiscate your phone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, but the whole point was to </span>
  <em>
    <span>unplug</span>
  </em>
  <span> for a while. If you used your phone more, you’d get it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What if there had been an emergency?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But there wasn’t. Was there?” He answered his own question. “Nevermind. Next time, I’ll remember to check in, okay?” God, Rey was going to </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> the helicopter parent thing Kes had going on. He knew his dad wanted him to be happy, but jeez. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Poe, you sound like someone pissed in your corn flakes. It’s not a crime for me to want to talk to my son.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, but I’ve only got a few hours left with Rey and I want to enjoy them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey? Leia’s niece?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe sighed and leaned against the wall. Might as well get this over with. “Yeah. Finn and Rose had to bail, so we, uh, came by ourselves.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe didn’t like the judgmental tone. “She’s really great, Dad. You’ll love her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I going to meet this one?” Poe never brought anyone home to meet his dad; it never felt right. But he wanted that to change with Rey. He just had a good feeling about her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, yeah. We’re, um, dating now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you weren’t when you left?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe groaned. “Dad…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Kes laughed. “Always too easy to tease, mijo. Bring her by. She must be special.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe looked over to where Rey sat, reading on her Kindle. “She is, Dad.” Once he made sure everything really was good back at the farm, he hung up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey glanced up when he returned. “Everything okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sat beside her, pulling her as close as the hard plastic seats would allow. “Yeah. Apparently, my dad doesn’t understand the concept of unplugging while on vacation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rested her head on his shoulder, huffing a laugh. “From what you’ve told me he doesn’t sound like the vacation type, period.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Also true.” He couldn’t remember the last time Kes took a vacation. “I, uh, told him about us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He was gonna find out sooner or later, right? He’s excited to meet you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This doesn’t seem fair. You’ve already met my dad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve known your whole family for most of my life,” he reminded her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leia’s going to be thrilled.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think so?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep. She’s constantly asking me why I don’t have a date for this function or that charity auction. Now I can just bring you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t remember her being that involved in Ben’s love life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think she gave up on that a long time ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both laughed; neither able to picture Ben Solo in any sort of stable relationship. “So, she’s pinning all her hopes on you then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looks like.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll do our best not to disappoint her then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey smiled into his chest; she was starting to get excited for the future. It didn’t seem so scary when Poe talked about it. And really, how much would change? They spent time together as friends before. Dating didn’t seem that different. She snapped a picture of them together at the airport and sent it to her aunt. Leia responded almost immediately with a string of question marks. When Rey replied that Poe would be her date to the next social function Leia hosted, her aunt immediately figured it out. She sent Rey a series of emojis that reflected her excitement. “See?” Rey said when she showed Poe. “Thrilled.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guess I’ll have to get my suit dry cleaned.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope you have more than one suit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They didn’t have any seating issues when they boarded the plane; it wasn’t a full flight. Rey felt the late night catching up with her; Poe let her borrow his pillow so she could nap if she wanted. He fell asleep too, his cheek pressed against the crown of her head. Neither woke up until the plane touched down, the jolt of touching the ground jerking them back to reality.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey’s phone dinged the moment she turned it on. “Finn’s on his way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit, I forgot he was picking us up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do we not…want that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine with it if you are.” Finn picking them up meant that their secret would be out sooner. There would be no hiding how they felt from Finn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She let out a relieved breath. “I’m good.” She was not hiding this from anyone, not when she felt this happy. They deplaned and headed toward the baggage claim. It was cold out; Rey opted to duck into one of the restrooms to change into jeans and a sweater before they went outside. Poe was braver and waited to get their bags. The airport was busy; he was still waiting when she returned. “Hey, did you mean it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mean what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About me, spending the night at your place?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Yeah?” He bit his lip. “But if you’d rather go home…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She cut him off with a kiss. “Are you kidding? I don’t want to give up my heater. It’s cold out there!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe laughed. “Well, we certainly wouldn’t want you getting sick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took longer than expected to get their bags; Finn had to circle the airport a few times in his car. Once they had all the bags, the pair walked out to the arrival pick up zone and waited. Rey grinned when Poe shivered. “Cold?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe sighed. “Go ahead, make fun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, I was gonna help you warm up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah? What did you have in mind?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This.” She cupped his cheeks and drew him in for a kiss. Poe slid his arms under her jacket, pulling her closer. This would be their last kiss before their vacation truly ended; Poe wanted to make it count.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose scanned the groups of people waiting for a ride as Finn drove slowly. She missed her friends while they were gone; Finn was happy to include her when he went to pick them up. Rose wanted to hear all about their adventures. There were single people with roller bags and briefcases, families struggling with car seats and strollers, traffic officers moving cars along. Everyone was wearing winter coats; it was harder than she thought to spot the right people. A couple in an intense lip lock made her blush and smile; the woman had a black coat like Rey’s. Wait. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No way.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Rose smacked Finn on the arm. “There they are!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Where?” Finn demanded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose pointed ahead. “Right there! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kissing!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn followed her finger. His jaw dropped. “Well, I’ll be damned.” It was Poe and Rey, kissing like there was no one else in the world. “Looks like they, uh, had fun?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose snorted. “Oh my god, this is amazing!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose rolled her eyes. “Please. They’ve been interested in each other for ages. You really should be more observant, Finn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m observant!” Finn protested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Quick, pull over before we have to go around again!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn cursed, pulling up to the curb a good ten yards away from where Poe and Rey stood. The car barely came to a stop before Rose bounded out. “Poe! Rey!” she called. “Over here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe and Rey broke apart, both blushing bright red. “Uh oh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey buried her face in his shirt. “They saw us, didn’t they?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose called out again. “I’m gonna take that as a yes,” Poe replied. “Guess we got carried away?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey brushed a stray curl away from his forehead. “They’ll just have to get used to it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like the way you think, Sunshine.” They started gathering their things as Finn and Rose walked up. “Hey guys.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose couldn’t wipe the grin off her face. “Have fun?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, yeah,” Rey replied. “It was…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Relaxing?” Poe provided.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll bet,” Finn said, glancing from one to the other. “So, you two are what…dating now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Poe slipped his arm around Rey’s waist. “Yeah, we are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>happy for you!” Rose squealed. She hugged both Rey and Poe, leaving them both mildly bemused. Rose certainly seemed less surprised than Finn; perhaps neither had been as discreet as they thought when it came to their crushes. They got the luggage stowed in the back of Finn’s SUV; Rey and Poe climbed into the backseat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think Rey’s place is closer,” Finn started as he pulled into traffic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey shared a look with Poe. “Um, Finn? I’m staying at Poe’s tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose suppressed a giggle; Finn groaned inwardly. This was becoming way more information than he needed to know. How the hell was he supposed to know that two of his best friends would suddenly come back from vacation as an item? He’d been quietly irked the whole time they were gone, but it might have been a good thing. He didn’t want to know what they’d gotten up to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose peppered them with questions the whole way to Poe’s place; fortunately, she stuck to topics like shopping and amenities. But Rey knew that wouldn’t be the end of it. Sure enough, as they were unloading the luggage in front of Poe’s building, Rose drew her aside. “I’m going to need </span>
  <em>
    <span>details</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” she said in a hushed voice. “Because this is </span>
  <em>
    <span>huge!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Was it romantic? It looked romantic on the brochure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey’s smile made her cheeks hurt. “Yes, it was very romantic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose squealed. “I knew it! You’re happy? You look very happy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey glanced over at Poe, who was helping Finn get their bags. “Yeah, I’m happy, Rose.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re having lunch together,” Rose declared. “Soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” They hugged and Rey joined Poe up on the sidewalk. “I hope your building has an elevator.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We got this, Sunshine.” He turned to Finn and Rose. “Thanks for the ride.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, thanks,” Rey added. They waved as Finn and Rose left, then pushed their bags into Poe’s building. It was awkward getting into the elevator, but they made it work. Poe led them down the hall to his apartment, gesturing for Rey to go in ahead of him. He flipped on the nearest lamp; it was almost eleven. “Do you have to work tomorrow?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Technically yes, but I could be convinced to play hooky.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why not? Traveling is exhausting. And we got back later than we expected.” Rey handed him her coat; Poe hung it up and pulled her back against his chest. It was a little surreal, having her in his space like this. He was probably being greedy, wanting just a little more time with her. But if she was willing…his lips touched her neck. “What do you think? Wanna spend the day with me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned and brushed her lips to his. “How about every day?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now that I can get behind.” He scooped her up and carried her toward his bedroom. Who said the future had to wait? It could be whatever they wanted it to be. </span>
</p>
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